Gummy Bears
by scooterwoof
Summary: Near and Mello have been enemies since forever, and Matt never really cared before. What will he do now that he's practically thrown into the middle when he gets to know Near a little bit? NearXMatt. Bits of MattXMello and NearXMello. Slight AU.
1. Pants

**A/N:** This is my first time publishing a fan fic, and also my lovely friend Steve's first time publishing a fic, too! It's a co-authored fic which was written in the style of a roleplay, so it might seem a little weird when it suddenly switches characters, but hopefully it won't be that weird...

This is a slight AU that deviates from the original plot (actually it's like a completely new story that's just set in the Wammy House and has the same characters, but some have different personalities, which is more clear later in the story).

We tried to stick to the original characters as much as possible, but there may be some OOC, and we sort of write the characters' personalities the way we interpret them, so they might be a bit over-the-top XP

Since this is our first fic, please review and tell us what you think of the story and give constructive criticism! Enjoy the story~

Matt, Mello, and Near © Ohba and Obata

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"Oi! Watch it Matt!"

The redhead looked up from his blaring DS, his eyes obscured by bright orangey-yellow goggles the color of the sun. He sighed, smiling. "Sorry 'bout that, Mello." He apologized.

Mello sighed, raking a hand through his blonde hair. The old rusted springs of the bed creaked painfully as Mello stood up. Walking over to Matt, he picked up the Hershey's bar that was once in danger of being stepped on, frowning. "God, Matt. You could've stepped on it! Honestly, watch where you're going," he muttered, moving to sit back down on the bed. The young teenager focused his gaze onto the bar.

Matt sat down as well, though he wasn't particularly interested in anything other than the two gleaming words that had formed on the screens.

Game Over.

Matt frowned. "Great," he murmured. "I'd almost beaten it, too." As Matt flipped the game system closed, Mello looked at Matt, eyebrows raised.

"What? I bought that thing for you, like, three days ago!" he protested. Matt returned the confused gaze. "Wait, is that why you were in the bathroom for forever?" Mello asked.

Matt shrugged. "Yeah, what about it?" he asked, leaning back in the small white bed.

"What do you mean, 'what about it?' I bought you a game, and you spend all your time playing in it in the _bathroom_! Damnit Matt, if you're going to play it _that much_, then don't do it where other people are trying to piss!" he yelled.

Matt sighed. "Yeah, ok. I'm going to grab a sucker."

Mello's scowl deepened. "Fine. Do whatever the hell you want to," he muttered, absent-mindedly opening the milk chocolate bar. Anger surging through him, he fisted the shiny aluminum foil into a ball as he listened to Matt open up a Tootsie Pop. Mello chuckled quietly, looking at Matt.

"So, it's Tootsie Pops again, is it? Did you already burn through your Dumdums or something?"

Matt shrugged dismissively. "Yeah. I go through lollipops like you go through chocolate." And, as though to prove Matt right, Mello bit of a corner of his chocolate, crunching it in his teeth.

Mello didn't reply; he seemed very interested in the dusty red walls of the room at that moment in time. Matt stuck the dark lollipop in his mouth, twirling it around in lazy circles in his mouth. The blonde heard soft pops as Matt cracked his fingers. An idea popped into Mello's head, and stood up once more; this time, a blue and white striped pillow in hand. Leaving the chocolate discarded on the bed, Mello walked up to Matt. All the while, Mello shook the pillow a couple times to get some excess fabric from the casing, and twirled the polyester fabric around until he had a good handle. And then, accompanied by a loud 'thump' and a grin, Mello brought the pillow down upon Matt's head.

"Hey- OW!" Matt yelled, grabbing his aching head as he turned around to glare at Mello. Mello simply grinned, casually slinging the pillow over his shoulder like a child on Halloween.

"Well, that's what you get when you almost step on my chocolate." Mello shrugged.

Matt blinked a couple times beneath his glasses before frowning, and twirling the lollipop around in his mouth again. "Well, YOU almost made my lollipop fall out. Happy now?" Matt asked, smiling as he took a couple steps towards the bed. Mello stared at him, almost mirroring Matt's expression as he side-stepped to make sure he was across from Matt.

"Maybe." He replied. "Should I be?" He flexed the fist on the pillow, waiting for a certain moment… just waiting for the split second when Matt would have his guard down. It would be a time when Mello would take his shot. Stepping forward twice, Mello didn't lose sight of Matt, whose gaze, though covered by the glasses, were no doubt on Mello; in fact, Matt was probably deciding when he would make the first move as well.

"I don't know." Matt stopped, and took the stick out of his mouth. He crunched on the hard candy that was still in his mouth. "But can I say one thing?"

This was it. Mello stiffened, leaning forward a fraction of an inch. Almost there…

"Yes, Matt." Mello's wrist twisted, the fabric of the pillow brushing up against his soft black shirt.

"I'm not." Then, it happened. Twisting quickly, Matt turned around and grabbed a nearby pillow, swinging it to the side as fast as he could; it made contact with Mello's with a loud 'thwap'.

"Gah!" Mello stepped back, avoiding a clumsy swing from Matt, and went for another downward attack on Matt's head, who staggered a step or two as he got hit in the head for the second time that night.

"Hmph. Think you're so great, Mello? Well, watch this!" Mello and Matt glared at each other, and Matt saw his chance. Emitting his best war cry, Matt thrust his arms high into the air, both hands tightly clenched onto the pillow, which went up with them, though still within the clutches of Matt's hands. Matt's pillow successfully made contact with Mello's chin in an uppercut, and it was Mello's turn to stagger. Taking advantage of the situation, Matt leapt forward, slamming his pillow into Mello again. Mello let out an angry cry, slamming his pillow onto Matt's back as the two roommates toppled onto the floor.

"OW! Damn, that hurt!" Mello shouted, looking down at the dirty grey carpet with disgust.

"Not as much as this!" Matt replied with equal volume, slamming the pillow onto Mello again. Mello twisted unhappily under Matt. Matt grinned triumphantly, taking pleasure in his winning position. Mello was lying on his back, teeth clenched as he glared at Matt, who simply grinned down in return. He was sitting on his knees over the borderline of Mello's stomach and the hem of his black shirt, which was pushed up slightly in the fall.

"God- Matt, you're not supposed to win!" Mello shouted, swinging his pillow up into an unsuspecting Matt's face. The bright orange goggles dislodged slightly, and Matt frowned. Mello slammed the pillow into Matt again, this time in the side of his head. Matt shifted to the side, and Mello jerked his knees, and Matt fell onto the floor. Mello immediately proceeded to take the offensive, and thrust the pillow into Matt's stomach. Matt coughed and a knock was heard on the white, wooden door to the two friends' room.

Near was lost in the middle of the lego city he had created. There were three lego guys within the entire city, though Near had a whole box of them. The three were the most important at the moment. There was the robber, designated by the white and black stripped paint on his once-yellow body and by the black beanie painted on his head; the policeman painted blue; and the unfortunate mailman who was in a horrible predicament in this fake, but monumental scene. The robber had a small brown bag, made of thin cloth, in his semi-circle hands and was on the top of one of the city's towers. The policeman was at the bottom of the building, standing on top of the toy police car. Finally, the mailman was hanging from a rope near the robber.

The gears in Near's imagination began to turn as he created a scene within his mind, though he was merely staring at the figures, propped up an inch on both of his elbows. The figures were still, even in Near's mind. What was happening was the robber had stolen money from the multi-story bank and had found the mailman delivering mail personally to someone. Knowing the police would arrive soon, the robber grabbed the mailman and forced him up to the top floor. He pushed the mailman off, but the mailman had luckily caught a rope hanging from the side of the building that was previously used for scaffolding for window washers. The rope had never been cut because the bank was too busy to deal with it, as it was almost the holidays, and people were depositing and withdrawing money at an extremely high rate.

The real purpose of the mailman was to decide who would win. If thirty seconds passed in real time, and the mailman was still hanging from the rope, the policeman would win. But if the mailman fell, the robber would win. Tension filled the air in both the lego city, and Near's room as he waited for the thirty seconds to pass. Halfway through, Near jumped ever so slightly at the sudden sound of his neighbor shouting. He lightly bumped the lego structure, but it was enough to send the mailman to the floor with a sickening click as he hit the police car.

Near frowned disapprovingly. This wasn't right. His scene had been tampered with, and now it was false. Most children would've just set the mailman back up, but Near wasn't most children. He could never recreate the exact scene for a second time. The fake emotions in the lego air, the priorities of policeman and robber, and even the mailman's terror would never, ever be the same no matter what. The entire scene was ruined.

Without a tremor or unnecessary step, Near stood up. He carefully stepped over his lego city and sat on his white bed, too disgusted to even look at the scene which had entertained him for longer than healthy. His finger unconsciously went to curl his hair, but he became aware of the motion when he realized how oily and gross his hair had become. Near recalled that the last time he'd bathed was about two days ago, and he was about due for another wash.

Near navigated through the completely white room with one bed towards the bathroom, which was connected to his room. He took his sweet, sweet time scrubbing his delicate and pale skin. After thoroughly scrubbing his hair and rinsing his entire body, Near exited the bathroom, loosely clenching a towel around his waist. He went through the dresser drawers to find some clean clothes, and found everything he needed… except for his pants.

In Near's empty pants drawer, there was a single chocolate kiss shining in the dim lighting in all its foil-y goodness. The straight line of his mouth bent into a slight frown. Mello had taken his pants for some reason Near probably didn't want to know. A sigh escaped his lips as he exited his room, clad only in his pajama top and tighty whities, and appeared before Mello and Matt's door. He knocked twice, then waited.

Matt shifted his head to the best of his ability so he could see the white- no, with the glasses, it was yellow- door.

"Mello? Could you get your fat ass off me? I think we have a visitor." He nodded towards the door, furrowing his eyebrows in annoyance. He was annoyed for two reasons; someone had interrupted his pillow fight with Mello, and second, having Mello sitting on you isn't very fun when he's not bashing you with a pillow. The blonde sighed, slinging the pillow over his shoulder and walking over to the door. Matt, not taking any chances of being sat on again, stood up immediately and followed suit. Mello soon reached the door, and grabbed the handle, twisting the bronze object and opening the newly painted piece of wood.

"_Oh_." Mello's gaze narrowed as he settled his cerulean eyes on the boy standing in front of him and his redhead roommate. "It's _you_." The boy in question wasn't considerably shorter; an inch or two smaller at most. His cotton-white hair sat simply on his head, curled slightly at the ends- no doubt from endless hours of twirling it absent-mindedly, and his mouth was curled into a small frown. He was adorned in pajama top, and… Matt didn't know whether to laugh, cry, or puke when he noticed the child's undergarments. He settled with a low whistle.

"Oh my GOD." He muttered, grinning. "You wear _underwear_? Wow. Near, you really are weird." Mello tore his irritated gaze from the emotionless slate grey eyes of Near to look at Matt, eyebrows raised.

"WEIRD? Matt, for god's sake, this is NEAR. He's a freak, for Christ's sake!" Matt rolled his eyes, and turned back to Near, the white-headed wonder.

"So?" He asked, "What do you want, Near?"

Near narrowed his eyes slightly as he scrutinized his neighbors. He paid no mind to Matt's comments, as his mind was focused only on Mello and the fact that Mello had stolen something of his. Near did self-consciously tug his pajama top downwards in an attempt at more coverage. He wished no one else would see him like this. The ridicule he'd receive after this would irritate him to no end.

So, to prevent wasting time, Near quite bravely stepped up to Mello (his index finger pointing at Mello) so closely that he could have jabbed him in the chest if he went forward another inch. And then, extremely bluntly, out Near's accusation came: "You took my pants."

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**A/N:** Really hope you enjoyed it~ There are more chapters to come, so if you liked it, stay tuned!

P.S. The story is rated T for some language, and yeah


	2. Joke

**A/N: **Yay! We got ONE review! –gasp- Thanks, AmazinglyUntalented! This is Stevey by the way… So, leave a comment, say your thoughts, critique… whatever it is you want to say, say it! Oh, and thank you for minatomutz, Kyokugen Reader, westwardcircle, and AmazinglyUntalented for favoriting our story! I hope you enjoy this next chapter~

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Matt looked from Mello to Near, then again. He suddenly chuckled at Near's words.

"Oh? Mello, you kinky bitch!" He grinned, playfully punching Mello in the shoulder. Mello's face was as red as Matt's hair, and if it wasn't, the death glare Mello was giving Matt would have made him consider running for the hills. "How long has _this_ been going on?" He prompted.

"…Matt!" Mello's protest was abruptly cut off by Matt as he continued on.

"I mean, I can understand you being sexually frustrated, hanging out with a sexy beast like myself, but I never expected you to hook up with _Near_! So, where'd you hide them?" He prompted, poking Mello in the chest, who, in response, slapped his wrist.

"I didn't, for God's sake! Why the hell would I like _Near_?!" He shouted, angrily pointing at the white-headed child. "I mean… he's _Jesus effing Near_!" Mello fisted his hands in his pillow, obviously trying to hold back from slugging Matt in the gut. Matt sighed, and turned to Near, not quite as entertained anymore.

"Jesus! Quit your complaining, Mello; it was just a joke. God." He looked down at Near, curious to see his response

Near remained unfazed by Matt's words. The redheaded accomplice wasn't important. He was unnecessary, uninvolved, and, quite frankly, in the way. Near wasn't about to lose his head, nor his concentration to someone so insignificant. "You took my pants." Near repeated. "I want my pants back." He gestured to his tighty whities as if to show Mello the reason he needed his pants.

Matt frowned at Near's expressionless countenance, but then shrugged it off. After all, this was _Near_. Matt couldn't remember the last time Near had real, raw emotions on his face. He sighed, and patted Mello on the shoulder. Matt was still smiling at the hopelessly confused blonde.

"Well, Mello…?" Matt gestured to the room with his two hands.

"…What?"

"Let's go search the pants!" He thrust a fist into the air, and marched over to Mello's dresser, opening the first drawer he saw.

"…! O-oi! Don't just go through my stuff like it's yours!" Mello shouted, running away from Near to join the redhead teenager that was currently rummaging through his boxers.

Near's eyes narrowed, and he let himself walk into the room. He absolutely would not chance being seen in his underwear by another orphan if he could help it. In this case, he'd rather get yelled at by Mello than bothered by hundreds of other kids. "Please just give me my pants back. There's an uncomfortable draft and I'd rather not be seen in your room dressed only in my shirt and underwear." Near stated venomously without even raising his voice or making a twitch of his eyebrows.

Matt glanced over at Near silently as he withdrew from the drawer, which was hastily closed by Mello. Expressionless, yet his voice was oozing venom. If he wasn't wearing _tighty-whities_, then Matt might have felt an inkling of fear.

"So… you really did take his pants, then?" Matt asked, looking back at his blonde buddy. Mello shook his head.

"Ew, hell no! Why would I take his pants?" He asked, waving his arms in the air. Matt shrugged.

"Dunno. You are always trying to beat Near, so I wouldn't think it illogical to assume that this is some sort of test. You know, Near knows you took it, but he can't prove it… something along those lines." He replied calmly, taking interest in the way Mello's eyes widened by a fraction of a centimeter, then disguised it rapidly by raising his eyebrow.

"…What? Matt, that has to be the stupidest thing I've heard from you all day." Mello switched his focus to Near, eyes narrowing at the sight of him. "And frankly, I don't give a damn about your stupid draft. Go get Roger to get you another pair of your stupid pants. I'm sure he has plenty." He snapped.

"Mello," Near's eyes narrowed further, "I know you took my pants. I wish you'd just give me my pants back." It was more of a statement than a demand or a request. "And Matt, I hardly think Mello would do something as childish as this. If it had really been a test, I wouldn't have found this in my drawer." Near produced the Hershey's kiss from the pocket of his pajama top and held it on the palm of his hand for Matt and Mello to both see.

"Swallow your useless pride, Mello, and give me my pants please."

Matt frowned. "Well that sucks. There goes my mighty plan." He muttered. He took the chocolate from Near, looking it over. "Huhn." He looked it over carefully, receiving a confused look from Mello. "I do believe that these bright green stripes indicate that this chocolate is indeed mint flavor. I also happen to recall that Mello bought some mint-flavored Hershey's only a couple days ago. So, Mello, give him his pants. If not, you shall be the target of my projectile vomiting caused by the sight of Near's underwear." Matt stood up taller as he said this, and crossed a hand over his chest, sounding overly serious.

Mello sighed. "Matt?"

"Yes, my beloved?

"… Shut the hell up." Matt grinned at Mello's face, and stuck his thumb up in the air, poking Mello's forehead with his pointer finger and softly making a clicking sound with his tongue.

"Not until we make the trade! Well then, surrender the pantaloons!" Matt demanded. Mello sighed.

"I hate you." He muttered. The blonde walked over to his bed, lifted up the mattress to reveal some pairs of bleach-white pants, which he grabbed. He walked back to Matt, glaring daggers at the redhead the entire way.

"I love you too." Matt replied, smiling as he snatched up the pants. "Here you go," he said, holding the pants out for Near.

"Why, thank you, Matt." Near took one of the pairs of white pajama pants and put them on before taking the rest. "It's nice to know I have at least one somewhat urbane neighbor." He nodded his head slightly in appreciation, but the expressionless countenance he wore while doing so made it seem as if he were counting by nodding his head. The albino headed for the door, eager to leave the room of his annoying neighbor.

An idea popped into Near's head before he walked out of the door. He would creep Mello out and mess with his head. For some it may have seemed impossible that Near could utter the words in the same sentence, but it was quite possible. It was unpredictable, however, and the repercussions of it could be in Near's favor. He didn't want anyone close to touching his spot as L's next successor, and while he wouldn't sink as low as Mello's childishness, he wasn't afraid to throw a psychological screwball into the game. So, after heaving an inaudible sigh of preparation, he stopped before turning down the hall to his room. He turned his head to look Mello straight in the eye and said it: "Later, babe."

Without another word, Near faced his head forward once more, and proceeded to his room. If it had any affect on Mello at all, or even Matt (though he wasn't quite as worried about Matt taking his place, although if Matt actually took interest, he could probably have surpassed Mello and maybe even surpass Near… No, that wasn't possible) he would probably hear Mello's reply in the form of a scream of some sort.

Matt almost gagged at Near's comment; he resorted to quickly covering his mouth- he didn't know whether it was to keep himself from laughing or from puking. He felt his stomach writhing in his abdomen, causing quite an unusual experience for him. "W-what-," he managed to breath out, "was _that_?!" he asked, turning around to face a horror-stricken Mello.

Mello's face was pale, his mouth agape, and his pupils dilated in surprise, disgust, horror… something along those lines. Then, without any warning, Mello threw himself at Near's door, slamming a fist against it in rage. "NEAR, YOU SON OF A BITCH! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?! I SWEAR, IF YOU DON'T GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE AND EXPLAIN YOURSELF, I'll- I'll- I'll kick your sorry ass all the way to London and back! YOU HEAR ME?! GET YOUR FUCKING ASS BACK HERE, DAMNIT!" he nearly screamed, hurling himself repeatedly at the door in an attempt to break it down.

Matt backed away slowly, picking up his game system and holding it protectively against his black and white striped shirt. "Damn." He muttered. _'Later, babe.' _The words echoed in his head, replaying themselves over and over again like a broken record. Somehow, those words made his chest tighten up, and his hands suddenly craved the touch of his nails digging into his palms; he eagerly obliged to the calling, and held back a sigh of relief as a dull pain washed over his senses, satisfying the anger that bubbled in his chest.

Why did that statement bother him so much? Near didn't really love Mello… right? _'Of course not.'_ He told himself. _'It was just a joke… just a joke…' _Matt found himself telling himself those words repeatedly to calm himself down. Mello's shouts and threats were nothing but dull background noise to the redhead now, merely random, insignificant white noise. Matt suddenly felt his entity grow cold as another thought crossed his mind; what was bugging him so much? The idea of Mello loving Near, or… Near loving Mello? Matt shook his head, trying to clear out the unwanted thoughts. _'Mello loving Near, of course… I mean, they're rivals! If Mello really was with Near... wouldn't that mean that I'd have less time to spend with him? Mello's my best friend, for god's sake!' _Matt found an odd comfort in reeling those thoughts in his mind. _'That's right… It was just a joke. Just a stupid, pointless, and maddeningly infuriating joke.'_

Near could've laughed aloud at Mello's response, but he held it in. Even so, a little chuckle passed his lips, which remained in a nondescript line. After he put his pants away, he decided locking the door was the best decision he had right now. He probably couldn't leave his room for another day… It wouldn't be safe otherwise. Sadly, they had classes the next day, so he would have to face Mello sooner than later. Although, after a moment of thought, Near decided that if he and Mello didn't see each other for at least the rest of today, then he might be okay tomorrow.

There was about a 57% chance he'd get beaten up tomorrow by Mello, but those were better odds than the 99.9% chance today. And who knew? Maybe Matt would protect him, he seemed civil enough not to let Mello beat the living crap out of Near. After all, Matt had never seen Mello fully beat the crap out him before. It was pretty brutal, and Matt had gotten Near's pants back, after all. Maybe… No, Near couldn't allow himself to think that. If he let himself believe comforting falsehoods, it could have bad effects. And anyways, Matt was Mello's best friend and probably wouldn't care if he got beaten up. Near shrugged and began tearing apart his lego city in order to make a new one. Perhaps this time his scene would work perfectly.

When Matt reorganized his thoughts, he stood up, and walked over to Mello. The blonde was no longer ramming himself against the door like a raging lunatic, but he was shaking with rage; his fists, only too ready to make contact with someone else's skull, were clenched tightly at his sides, also lightly vibrating.

"Mello?" Matt asked quietly, mustering up all of his courage to place a hand on Mello's shoulder hesitantly; his nerves seemed to be amplified a thousand times, alert for even the slightest notion that Mello wanted to hurt him.

Mello didn't make any moves, and Matt felt confident that he was safe.

"Leave him. It's not going to do any good." Matt continued quietly, trying to calm down the blonde as best he could. Maybe Matt would buy him some Toblerone or something later.

Mello's fists tightened again, and he punched the door once more before walking over to his bed and burying his face in his pillow.

Matt sat down, trying to think of some sort of joke that would cheer up his best friend. His brain thought of nothing, and his thoughts settled on Near for the second time that day. Matt wondered whether he should go over and see his neighbor, and was about to do so when another thought struck him. 'Why would I need to see Near? It's not like Mello did anything other than attack Near verbally.' Matt thought, his expression dulling out as he sat on his bed.

"Hey, Mello?"

"What?" Mello replied, not removing his head from the pillow.

"Uh… Do you want one of those stress relieving hacky-sack things? You look like you could use one." Matt asked, the specific name of the product in question failing to come to mind.

"No."

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**A/N:** Rez here, and the reason why Mello stole Near's pants in the first place will probably be explained later, but for now, just let it go XD Please, please tell us how we're doing with this =3 We tried to make it funny without being too OOC, and more funny comes later, but I just hope the funny doesn't end up being lame… Still! Tell us your thoughts and tell us what we need to improve on. Please and thankies~


	3. 57 Percent

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone who has been reading our story so far! Stevey and I plan to continue this fic to the end and then write more! Please tell us what you think of this chapter.

Personally, I don't like making Mello the bad guy, but he just has to do some bad things for the plot to continue. Anyways, feedback please! We want to know if we're doing decent writing or if people just read it and go "Psh, lame!"

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The next day, Near was particularly careful about his surroundings and on high alert for the sight of Mello. That 57% was bugging him now, and his best bet at survival was to spot danger before it struck. It was also important he was around an adult when trouble was spotted. Mello wouldn't risk getting caught, so adults were like home base in a game of tag between the hunter and the prey.

Near cautiously entered his first class for the day, eyes darting around the room for any sign of blond in the practically empty classroom filled with children whose hair were only shades of browns and blacks. The classroom was large enough to fit 35 separate desks. Not a single desk in the class was connected or pushed against another. They were all at least six inches apart and all were facing forwards to meet the teacher, then the teacher's desk, and beyond that, the white board which contained directions for when the bell rang for class to start.

After he was sure there was no Mello in the room, Near sat at his desk, carefully placing his bag beside the desk. It only contained a notebook for each class, a pencil, a pen, and an Optimus Prime action figure. Near took Optimus as a comfort object to protect his mind from bad thoughts. Maybe today Optimus would go beyond and protect Near's physical form, too.

"Well, it's not MY fault you didn't wake up early enough!" Mello shouted, waving his arms in the air as they rounded a corner.

Matt sighed, his eyes begging to be itched under his bright goggles. He resisted the urged, but rubbed his forehead with his thumb.

"Nngh." He groaned. "Shut up, you're giving me a headache." Matt gave a pathetic attempt at pushing Mello away, and failed at accomplishing the not-so-simple task.

"Well, don't bother me when the teacher gets pissed and assigns you extra homework." Mello sighed.

Matt responded with an unseen blink, and opened the door to the classroom.

"…" The two boys stared at the class, most members of which were staring back with curiosity. Mello grinned, and waved casually.

Matt yawned.

"Hey! Morning everybody!" Mello called.

Matt didn't bother with any introductions; he just walked over to the nearest open desk and sat down in it, putting down his bag. The urge to slam his head repeatedly on his desk was very tempting, but he didn't oblige. Matt turned his head a fraction of an inch to see Mello sit down at the desk next to him; Matt wished he could be sitting directly next to his best friend, but he knew that the teacher wasn't going to let that happen. Bored, Matt leaned his head in his chin, raking his yellow-tinted gaze over his classmates. Most of these people he hadn't seen before, but he suddenly stopped when a certain white-haired boy was spotted.

"Near?" Matt breathed quietly, careful to keep his voice at a level where nobody else would be able to hear him. If Mello didn't know Near was in his class, then Matt preferred to keep him that way. After all, a fairly angry Mello was much easier to deal with than a super-mega-pissed-off Mello. Matt found his eyes almost wanting to stare at the back of Near's head, as though to drink in each detail, but Matt had a feeling that Mello would find out about Near that way. Of course, Mello would be able to find Near anyways, but Matt didn't want to be the reason for it. Instead of looking at the white-haired boy, he looked up at the teacher, who was shifting her gaze between a paper and the class; Matt assumed that she was taking roll or something. Satisfied that he wouldn't get caught, Matt let his head sink into the desk.

Today was going to be a long day.

Class dragged by painstakingly slow and the teacher droned on and on about something school-related. Near didn't really know what she was talking about, mostly because he was trying to keep himself from falling asleep out of boredom. Most of the things she was going over was review, anyways, and Near didn't need to review. If there was something he didn't understand he would refer to the notes he'd originally taken when initially learning about something.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, the bell rang and his classmates eagerly packed their bags and left the room. Near merely placed his notebook into his bag and waited for everyone else to pile out of the classroom. He could get hurt in a mosh pit of kids trying to leave a room. In addition to refraining from getting hurt, Near hoped that Mello would be among the first to leave, or at least be part of the crowd. That way, he wouldn't be spotted.

Matt grabbed his gameboy a couple minutes after the class started, and had been playing that all class, not really paying any attention as to what the teacher had been talking about in the first place. 99.9% of the things he learned would never be used in real life, anyways. After all, Mello and Near were probably far beyond his intellect to be competed with when it came to becoming L's successor… Well, maybe he could surpass Mello if he tried hard enough, but definitely not Near. Matt stayed a bit after, trying to finish beating the crap out of the gym leader so he could save the game and turn it off.

"Take that, you stupid Grotle! Fear the wrath of my Infernape!" Matt muttered, his thumbs fluttering over the buttons as he pressed them quickly. "Aha!" He grinned in triumph as the enemy Pokemon fainted. He saved the game, and then shut the console closed, turning it off. Matt could feel a strange feeling in his spine, and had the odd suspicion that Mello was right behind him. And then, almost immediately after, the blonde stepped from behind him to beside him.

"Uh… Nice fight." Mello commented, foot tapping absent-mindedly.

Matt assumed it was in impatience. "Yup. I really hate those stupid grass starters. They're so slow." Matt sighed, standing up. His eyes wandered as he turned around to leave, and he caught sight of Near again. _'Hmph. Still here?' _Matt thought, raising his eyebrows slightly.

Mello looked at Matt's face, and then turned to look at the source of Matt's confusion.

"What the- Near?" Mello echoed. Surprise turned to disbelief, which morphed with annoyance in about a half of a second. Matt face-palmed mentally.

Crap.

"Mello, come on. Leave him." Matt muttered, his eyes trailing to the floor.

Mello frowned, and took a step towards Near. Matt grit his teeth; Mello was probably going to punch Near incredibly hard. Matt knew he shouldn't feel any sympathy, considering what Near said the night before, but he couldn't help but feel a shred of empathy for the brilliant child. Matt followed close behind Mello, standing still as Mello clenched his hands into a fist. Matt knew what was coming; part of his brain told him to stop Mello, but he didn't do anything.

"Near, what the hell are you doing here?" Mello demanded.

'_He's in this class, you retard. No duh.'_ Matt thought, his frown deepening. Stifling a sigh of annoyance, Matt fidgeted slightly.

"Did you hear me?!" Mello demanded when Near didn't answer in two seconds, "I asked what you're doing here!"

Matt, biting his lip, couldn't hold a tiny comment back. "He's in our class."

Near's heart rate sped up as Mello called him out. He'd been too preoccupied with his bag to notice the blond had still been in the room. After an inaudible sigh, Near faced Mello with his usual expressionless face. Near wasn't scared of Mello as a person, but he didn't like pain at all. His hopeful 57% was now a doubtful 94%, but he kept a straight face. If Mello was going to punch him, then so be it. Near wouldn't let him have the satisfaction of knowing that Mello could scare him away.

"Yes, Mello. Matt's correct. It sure took a genius to figure it out." Near's words oozed with stinging sarcasm, and he was sure his 94% was now 96%. That was okay, though. As long as he kept up a strong front, then maybe… Who was Near kidding? He had practically no chance, and he wasn't about to chance his 4% by running away like a coward. The only thing he could do was accept the punch and leave.

Matt felt his heart compress itself awkwardly as Mello's fists tightened for a second time, and winced inwardly. He hated being the one to blame. Matt knew it was something he would have to get accustomed to soon, so he stood there, drinking in every moment. Again, his heart make a funny maneuver when Near said his name, but this one hurt. Near was obviously using sarcasm when he called Matt a genius… Did Near really think that lowly of him? Matt furrowed his eyebrows in annoyance.

"Hey, don't you talk about Matt like that! Damn it Near, stop acting like you're so much better than us! Just because you- oh, I get it! You're in this class so you can rub it in my face aren't you, _number one?_"Mello's voice raised to the almost-shouting level. "Well, beat this!" And, before anyone else had a chance to do anything, Mello shoved his fist into Near's face.

Near tried to move as little as possible in result of Mello's punch. He merely took a step backwards to remain on his feet. It took all his might to lock the pain away deep in a compartment within his mind to deal with later. In a little while, it would be safe to hold his throbbing face and to knit his eyebrows together as the pain ebbed throughout his body. At the current moment, however. He displayed that the only thing the punch had done to him was move him a little bit. His expression refused to change.

"Mello, I am in this class for the same reason as you; to try and become L's successor. Never before have I acted as if I was better than everyone as a whole. I simply receive the best scores and with the attitude you put up, and the way you don't think before you speak makes me respond as I feel necessary. If the response is insulting, then perhaps you deserved it." Near's response was calm, and as if he'd never been punched.

Matt was amazed at Near's ability to keep a straight face. No matter how hard Matt tried, he could never mask pain quite as well as Near. Not by a long shot. It did console him to know that he could at least rival Mello a bit, but it did put him down a bit to know just how great Near really was.

"Mello, come on." Matt made sure his voice was low, and his tone was even. "Let's go. There's nothing to gain by doing this," he muttered, the situation making him feel oddly uncomfortable. Why was he acting so skittish all of a sudden? It's not like Near's wellbeing was any of his concern… right?

Mello didn't move.

"Mello, come on." Matt urged for a second time, actually considering grabbing Mello's shirt sleeve. Anything to get out of here.

Mello must have heard the sublime message in his tone, for he nodded.

"Ok, whatever. Let's go, Matt." With that, Mello shoved his hands in his pockets and started to make his way towards the door.

Matt followed, but as he was about to leave, he turned around to face Near again. He smiled sheepishly, and shrugged; hopefully, that would serve itself as an apology. Then, he walked out of the door, and the two friends made their way to their next class.

Near narrowed his eyes as Matt left. An apology wouldn't do anything. However, since this had been Near's fault in the first place, he would forgive Mello. He grabbed up his bag and then left the room, hoping he wouldn't be late to his next class. And, above that, hoping his face wouldn't turn purple. At least he had the next class without Mello. That was a good thing.

Matt frowned as he left the classroom with Mello. Their next class, unfortunately, was not going to be one that they shared.

Mello walked into his classroom, and the two friends waved goodbye before parting ways.

Matt continued walking along, used to the confused glances and awkward stares that were sent his way. After all, most people don't see a redhead with yellow goggles walking around a school hallway every day. Matt assumed that they would eventually stop goggling at him and get on with their lives. Most of them had already gotten used to him; after all, it's not like the Wammy House was a place where kids were ushered in daily. Looking up from his gameboy, the redhead rounded the final corner to his classroom. He approached it, and pushed the door open. Then, he walked in, and sat down in the nearest desk. Not even bothering to try and hide it, Matt sighed.

Today was definitely going to be a long day.


	4. Here In Your Arms

**A/N:** OMFG I'M SO SORRY FOR UPDATING A DAY LATE T-T. I try to update the story weekly every Monday, though usually late at night. I already had the chapter written up and ready to go, but I was so busy with a history project that I didn't remember when I was finished T_T I hope this chapter makes up for it… Read it to the end, even if it starts to make no sense. I has some 'splainin' to do for this chapter XD Anyways, I'll explain things after the chapter.

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Near tried to pay attention as his next teacher droned on and on about something new he had to learn. However, it grew increasingly difficult as the pain in his face throbbed more. He placed his hand to his aching face, and let a displeasured frown unfurl itself on his face. It was clear that trying to pay attention to the teacher was futile, so Near focused on the pain, trying to deal with it without looking suspicious.

The pain ebbed throughout his body, his face the epicenter of it all. Near wondered what could dull the pain, and came to the conclusion that if he had something to instill the pain inside, he'd be okay. Sadly, he couldn't ever hurt anybody, and the only toy he had with him was Optimus Prime, but he'd never hurt Optimus. Anger bubbled with the pain, and Near glared at his bag on the floor.

'_You've failed me, Optimus. I thought you would protect me. Why do you think I specifically picked you? Raggedy Ann would not have helped at all. I suppose that means you're no better than her,' _Near thought venomously. The bag remained motionless as if to display that Optimus was just a toy; a nonmoving, nonliving toy. Near frowned some more, but this time more in disapproval towards himself.

The physical pain mixed together with something emotionally painful. Now Near's face was throbbing and hurting in addition to loneliness. There was no one in the world he could share his pain with. There never would be anyone with whom he could ever share his pain with. No toy would ever respond affectionately nor sympathetically. The same went for people.

Matt was once again lost in the realm of his video games. The bright screen created a bit of glare, and he tilted the console back in order to be able to see the screen normally. He bit his lip, holding back a cry of triumph as he defeated another trainer. The teachers here were quite wearisome, and he actually attempted to listen, but a couple minutes later, his head began to throb lightly and his eyelids grew heavy. So, he resorted to grabbing yet another lollipop and going back to his game. Matt glanced at his bag, looking fondly at the once white notebook that lay still inside.

The cover, once blank, had been drawn and written on all over; Matt reached out almost subconsciously to grab the notebook, and flipped it open to a random page, closing his DS. The page was blank, but as he browsed to the beginning of the notebook, they were decorated in a similar fashion as to the cover. Matt's eyes drifted over the page, memories flying by, each perfectly recreated, yet only earning a millisecond in his brain.

A while ago, during their early ages of their elementary classes, Matt and Mello would pass the notebook back and forth, each responding with a word or a drawing. This had gone on for a while, but eventually, the tradition faded away into merely a fond memory of the past. Matt's gaze softened, and a faint smile appeared on his face; he leaned his chin into his left hand, and proceeded to flip through the pages.

Class seemed to fly by once Matt had found something new to do. Every now and then, Matt would chuckle fondly at Mello and his past conversations, entertained by how they acted only six or seven years ago. Matt was looking at a sword fight (though to Matt, the swords looked more like sticks) when the bell to get to the next class rang. Matt packed away his things and, sighing, turned back to flip the notebook closed and tuck it under his arm, ready to get to his next class.

Near put his notebook and pencil away, when he heard the bell ring. He slowly grabbed up his bag and exited the classroom. On his way to his next class, many children stared at Near, more children than usual. Near let out an muted sigh as he ventured to guess his cheek, the actual area of Mello's attack, was starting to bruise, and possibly swell. This wasn't what he needed right now. When Mello saw his handiwork, he might feel good about himself.

Near subtly shook his head to clear his mind, but instead, his entire head throbbed and he let out a small gasp of pain. He quickened his pace to arrive at his next class. The less people who saw, the better. When Near sat down in his seat, he was 98% sure that everyone in the room was staring at his wound. He wasn't 100% positive because he kept his head down, but his 98% remained because everyone had fallen silent in the room. Even the teacher let out a gasp when she saw.

Matt had been sitting in his seat for a while, seriously considering falling asleep, when he heard a soft gasp coming from the front of the room. He looked up, curious, and saw a familiar head of white hair.

'_Near?' _He thought, cocking his head to the side slightly. He saw numerous people staring at the prodigy, and this enticed him more. Wondering what was so interesting about Near, Matt sought for an answer. That's when he remembered the events from the first class of the day. Mello had punched Near- hard. Did Near have a bruise or something? Matt, curiosity nagging him like a piece of gum stuck to the bottom of his shoe, leaned his head so he could see Near.

The view wasn't very good, but the fact that there was a huge purple bruise on Near's cheekbone made all thoughts of sleep evaporate into thin air. "…Whoa," he muttered, leaning back in his chair. The teacher, regaining her senses, started to speak. Matt soon tuned out her words, staring off into space as his mind fixated on the image of Near's injured face engraved in his mind. Something in the middle of his intestines seemed to harden, and Matt's thoughts only became more and more focused on what Mello had done.

No.

What Matt had let Mello do.

The more Matt thought about it, the harder his gut felt, and the more saddened the redhead got. Matt crossed his arms, shoving his face in the gap in the middle.

Matt was wrong- today wasn't going to be a long day.

It was going to be a shitty one.

Near paid attention to the teacher as much as he could with all the other students whispering about him, and passing notes about him. He honestly didn't care what they thought, but it was quite distracting when the class was riled up like this about everything. Subconsciously, his hand slipped into his bag and he grabbed Optimus Prime. He held the toy tightly in his hand, while his other was curling a lock of his hair around his finger.

It was easier to pay attention in this class than it had been in the last class despite all the whispers and notes about him. The pain wasn't as bad, though his face still hurt. Near planned to go to the health technician during lunch to get ice for his wound. He wouldn't go during class, as he might miss something important, but he still had to go at some point or another.

Matt, who was fading in and out of consciousness for most of the class period, was woken up once again by the faint crinkling of paper. He looked up, and saw a couple friends muttering some words Matt couldn't hear. He did, however, notice that they were both looking at Near.

This maddened him. _'What the heck is the big deal? Sure, it's a big-ass bruise, but honestly! The class is going to be ending soon; how come they haven't gotten over it yet?'_ Of course, Matt hadn't gotten over it either, but he rationalized that he had a good reason to fuss over it. Matt knew that he could've stopped Mello from harming Near, yet he just stood by while Near got beaten.

'_What's wrong with me? I mean, I know I should've stopped Mello, but is this really something I should get all fussy over?'_ He thought, frowning. Thoughts continued to plague his mind, and he wished desperately for them to stop. _'Come on, Matt. This isn't like you. Stop it.'_

The class grew comfortingly quiet as the teacher began assigning the class work and homework assignments. Everyone was writing their assignments down, and Near was no exception.

Just as the last of people stopped talking to write down the last of the assignments, something extremely odd happened, and it all happened in a matter of seconds. Firstly, a boom box was placed atop a desk. Secondly, the guy who brought, owned, and placed the boom box on the table, Frank, turned it on. Thirdly, a song blast throughout the room. Fourthly, Frank, whose nickname was Hawtdawg for reasons to named later, started singing along. Fifthly, Hawtdawg (Frank) tore off his shirt and started dancing in addition to singing to the song.

"I LIKE WHERE WE ARE!" he sang extremely loudly and without any sense of rhythm or voice, "WHEN WE DRIVE IN YOUR CAR!!!!"

Near's eyes widened as he witnessed Hawtdawg's… actions. He was the crazy kid of the orphanage who really shouldn't have been there. Usually Hawtdawg did these kinds of things in other classes, but never before in this one. Near's heartbeat raced as Hawtdawg danced his way flamboyantly by him. Near didn't want to be involved _at all_.

Everyone in the class was laughing, gawking, and cheering Hawtdawg on as he hopped on top of a desk somewhere behind Near. When he looked, Near could see Hawtdawg had hopped onto Matt's desk and had his hand on Matt's head, stroking his hair creepily. He held the redhead's head against his shin still stroking Matt's hair with his other foot bouncing and tapping to the beat.

Near couldn't help but chuckle.

Matt swore he could feel a strong bout of projectile vomit coming on.

Firstly, when the sound came out of nowhere, he swallowed his lollipop, effectively choking the redhead. Second, Matt was sure he would never like this song afterwards. Third, his hair was being touched in ways it had never been before, and if he allowed this to continue, Matt had a feeling that 'Hawtdawg' would probably pull him up onto the desk and start doing pelvic thrusts.

Something along those lines.

Matt's eyes widened as far as they could go- his face heated up massively, and he was pretty sure that the color of his face matched his hair quite nicely. The only thing he could think was, 'HOLY SHIT HAWTDAWG'S GOING TO FUCKING RAPE ME.' The words reeled over and over in his head, but his dry throat held no capabilities to say them. The only thing he managed to get out was: "WHAT THE HELL?!" he shouted, trying and failing to scoot his chair back as far as possible. Hell, he would've ran his ass over to China for all he cared- anything to get away from the creeper that was stroking his hair like he was about to eat it. If it was anyone else, he would have been laughing as hard as the other students. He heard a distant 'thump', and assumed that the teacher had fainted. But honestly, he didn't care.

Right now, he was scared shitless.

So, he did the first thing that came to him; he bit Hawtdawg's shin.

This method didn't work as well as he had hoped; Hawtdawg did flinch, but Matt wished he would just fall over and die then and there. He didn't care how, be it a heart attack or being shot by a ton of cops- he just wanted this guy to go down with him. This is because, not stopping his jiggling hips.

Matt's mouth dropped open, and he felt the sudden urge to punch the bastard in the face like Mello did to Near.

Maybe he didn't feel so guilty anymore.

But, instead of following his instincts like he normally would, Matt decided to shove him off his desk.

This too didn't seem to work very well either.

Matt was now sure that he was right in assuming that today would be the worst of his life.

Hawtdawg did draw back, but not enough to go off the table. In addition, Matt's 'Holy Shit' level went off the charts when Hawtdawg somehow managed to rip of his pants in one smooth movement.

"YOU ARE THE ONE, THE ONE THAT LIES CLOSE TO ME-" Hawtdawg started singing the chorus, swinging his hips from side to side.

Maybe Matt wouldn't be so freaked out if Hawtdawg's knees weren't two inches from his face.

"-WHISPERS 'HELLO, I MISSED YOU QUITE TERRIBLY!!!" Suddenly, Hawtdawg's face twisting to look horrifyingly sad, and he grabbed Matt's face, bringing it against his shin with great force and mashing Matt's face into his leg. "I FELL IN LOVE, IN LOVE WITH YOU SUDDENLY!!!! NOW THERE'S NO PLACE ELSE I COULD BE BUT HERE IN YOUR ARMS!!!"

At that moment, just when Matt thought the worst of the worst would happen, Hawtdawg dropped Matt onto the floor, and leapt off the desk, receiving many encouraging whoops and whistles from the crowd.

Matt made a silent note to tell Mello that when he became a demolitions expert, he needed to blow up every single damn kid in the room.

Near watched, half amused, and half terrified. What could Hawtdawg do next? He found himself worrying about Matt for some strange reason. Maybe because no one deserved to be raped by a mental case, even if the victim was friends with the enemy.

Hawtdawg left Matt and then, clad only in his boxers, began flinging students out of their chairs. Near wasn't spared, and was violently thrown against the floor. He hit his head on someone else's desk, and Optimus Prime flew into the air, landing across the room with a _clack_ against the tile floor.

Today wasn't the best day in Near's life.

Matt's brain had come to a complete standstill, his heart racing faster than Seabiscuit on steroids. His breaths came easily enough, but his eyes were as wide as they could go on their own, the skin pressing uncomfortably against the edges of his goggles.

The redhead watched the scene unfolding before him, though his brain had a very difficult time processing any information. The main thought running through his head was that someone- a boy, no less- had gotten much too close for comfort. The dim realization that other kids were being thrown out of their seats did run through his head, and his eyes locked onto the first thing he saw, subconsciously trying to find something to focus on.

That 'something' just so happened to be Near.

Matt stared at Near as he fell, his eyes only trailing for a second as a large blue and red toy clattered out of his hands. They snapped back to the boy, and his mind continued to clear up until every last picture of his brain fell into place.

Only then did he realize what he was doing- he was staring at someone.

No, not just someone- he was staring at Near.

Near. The white-haired wonder, the freak show, the arch rival of his best friend.

Not to mention, Near was _male_.

Matt's gaze snapped self-consciously to his desk, suddenly very interested in the faint patterns and swirls of the wood.

'… _Ow. Getting your head smashed into a desk sounds like it hurts.' _Matt thought, leaning his chin in his crossed arms. _'Though, I bet it's not nearly as bad as having effing Hawtdawg jump onto your desk and practically molest your face.'_ His brain countered, trying to relieve his mind of any sympathetic thoughts. Matt didn't even bother to hide the sigh that escaped his lips, closing his eyes. The blackness that blanked his vision was oddly comforting, and Matt decided to keep his eyes closed for the time being.

Near struggled, among the pandemonium, to ignore the sharp, throbbing pain in his head as he crawled across the floor to retrieve Optimus Prime. Sadly, it was a failed attempt, as the strike had made him dizzy. Nausea entered his stomach as he flopped on the floor, reaching for Optimus. He struggled to keep the vomit down, and he was able to, but it was hard all the same. After retrieving his toy, Near returned to his seat, still dizzy and nauseous.

Near vaguely remembered Hawtdawg exiting the room loudly, and taking his boom box with him. It was the last thing he saw before a black numbness overcame him, and he passed out. His unconscious body fell to the floor as he gave into the blackness.

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**A/N:** XDDD Okay, so if you read the whole thing, let me explain some things. Hawtdawg was created as the mentally retarded kid who didn't belong in the orphanage. I don't think he's actually mentally retarded, though. It's more of autism or something. Anyways! We made him because we needed something to progress the plot a little quicker and add some excitement, so he'll be our trump card, our ace in the hole, quite a few times throughout the story. I hope you like him, 'cause we just made him up.

The song he was singing is an awesome song called Here (In Your Arms) by Hellogoodbye. We're sorry if we put the song to shame, but it had to be done, so yeah. And now a word from Stevey~

Stevey Says: Hi there, everybody! Writing this story has been a blast, and I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Sorry if this A/N kinda sucks, my brain has been decimated by homework. So, drop a word, favorite, whatever floats your boat! =D


	5. I Have Friends in Holy Spaces

**A/N:** Hosnap, this story's becoming, like, popular or something XD Thankies to the people who favorited and alerted the story~ It's all good motivation and encouragement to keep going =3

P.S. I named the title after a song (by Panic! At the Disco) cuz I had nothing better for it =D Also because I love P!ATD =) But the song has almost nothing to do with the chapter. Just sayin'

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Matt opened his eyes, blinking them sleepily. At one moment, he was just sitting with his eyes closed. The next, he was asleep. Matt thanked the gods he didn't believe in that he hadn't had any dreams. His vision was rather hazy, and he stood up, swaying slightly. He felt like he was one of those drunken kids on one of his video games. Everything shifted in and out of focus, everything showing up in Matt's brain as fuzzy patches of color.

One of these colors in particular caught his attention.

'…_White? Why is it on the floor?'_ Matt thought, making his way over to the odd blob. As he made his way closer, he noticed that nobody else but him and that odd white thing were in the room. Where was the teacher? Matt rationalized that this was probably the 'recess' break. He blinked a couple more times, and his vision became steadily more defined.

White and faint peach turned into hair, skin, and clothes; a familiar red and blue object appeared where there had just been plain color a moment before.

'…_Near?' _Matt thought, scratching his hair in confusion. He continued the motion for a bit longer, trying to think of a reason as to why he was sleeping on the floor. The redhead sighed, shaking his head.

No, that wasn't it. Near wasn't the type to sleep in class, let alone on the floor.

Was he… unconscious?

Matt walked over to check, prodding the boy lightly in the side. No response. He sat there, clutching what Matt now recognized to be Optimus Prime close to his chest. His face was uncharacteristically relaxed, and his mouth was slightly parted as he inhaled and exhaled.

Matt had to admit; Near looked rather… cute.

Rather enjoying the spectacle Matt knew he'd probably never see again, he sat down on his knees next to Near.

The bruise on his face was so… degrading.

Matt frowned, his smile fading into a frown as he thought once again at how he could've stopped Mello from doing this.

'_What's the point in fussing over this?' _He thought for the thousandth time, _'What's done is done.'_

Near's head swam, his thoughts scattered all throughout his brain. He remembered Hawtdawg on Matt's desk, stroking the redhead's hair and pulling his head to his shin, but that was all. The rest was a blur of dizziness and nausea. Although Near was now awake, he kept his eyes closed, trying to reorganize his thoughts.

As a few moments passed, Near remembered what happened. Hawtdawg had jumped off Matt's desk, shoved random orphans to the ground, including Near, then danced his way out of the classroom, followed by cheering students. It all made sense now… Okay, it didn't make any sense, but the important thing was that Near remembered what had happened.

Near opened his eyes, keeping the emotionless expression on his face. His eyes fluttered opened and closed a few times, trying to get used to the light, and he became aware that Optimus Prime was clutched hard against his chest. He sat up, rubbing his eye with one of his hands, and hissed with pain. His head had begun to throb with the pain of touching his worsening bruise and the added pain of banging his head against a desk's leg. That's when he noticed Matt staring at him.

Matt's eyes widened and he felt a blush tinge his face as Near's eyes turn to him. He hadn't expected Near to wake up this soon. "Uh… Hi," he greeted uncertainly, doing his best to fight back the blush and regain his composure. Right now, it was a losing battle. "You passed out."

'_Oh, really? Thank you, Captain Obvious.' _Matt mentally face palmed at his comment. _'God, Matt, can you do anything worse to the situation?' _Matt knew that there were plenty of ways to worsen it, such as a snide comment or a hit of some sort, but he didn't bother to ponder over most of them. Causing Near any more pain wouldn't satisfy Matt at all- he hated how Mello always picked on Near for being better than him.

"Y-yeah, you suddenly collapsed, and… Hell, I fell asleep, so I don't even know what happened after that, and then-"

Suddenly, Matt realized he still hadn't looked away from Near, and the blush he had just managed to fight off was starting to trickle its way through Matt's defenses.

'_Damnit, Matt, you're not helping. Just get out of here. Fast.' _He commanded himself.

"Anyways, you seem to be fine now. I hope you can get up and walk on your own. I have another class to get to," Matt continued. He kept his voice emotionless, but tried to keep the statement as un-offensive as possible. He stood up, his legs throbbing lightly.

Near didn't respond to Matt, as he figured Matt was embarrassed to be caught in such a situation. If Near said anything, he could make Matt feel more embarrassed. Well, that wasn't the whole truth. Near was embarrassed too. Why was Matt watching him sleep? The thought sent a light blush over his cheeks, but Near quickly took control over his emotions and locked the embarrassment away.

As Near attempted to stand, he knew it was a bad idea. Dizziness hit him again, and the throbbing in his head increased. He dropped Optimus to the floor and fell forwards, hands out in front of him, ready to catch himself. He ended up falling into Matt, arms wrapped around him. When Near realized he was practically hugging Matt- no, he _was_ hugging Matt- his face grew pink again, and he opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

Matt blinked once in confusion as he felt a warm pair of arms wrap around him, not even bothering to hide the blush that invaded his face this time. If Near wasn't going to hide it, neither was he.

His mind was in turmoil at the moment. Half of it wanted to shove Near away, and the other had no idea what it wanted to do. So, improvising for both, Matt cautiously patted Near's head, a silent request for Near to get off.

And he regretted it almost at once as his gaze locked with a pair of furious blue eyes.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!"

Near's mind told him to let go of Matt, and Near's instincts told him to run from Mello, but Near's body disagreed with the two, and clung to Matt tighter, seeking protection. He buried his face into Matt's chest pathetically as if pleading for savior. Both his instincts and his mind were now quiet, telling him nothing, as if this were the right thing to do all along.

Matt was fine with the hug. This, however, was more than just uncomfortable. Sure, Near was nice and cozy warm, but the fact that Mello was probably readying his AK-47 to shoot Near in the face was rather daunting. Matt really didn't care that Mello had no such weaponry. This was Mello; he could probably make an elephant appear in the cafeteria. Hell, he could probably make it fly if he wanted!

"U-uhm… Mello, this sure as hell isn't what it looks like!" Matt immediately went to the defensive, waving his hands in the air frantically. "Near was dizzy, and he fell onto me when he tried to stand up!" He explained, eyes looking similar to the way they were when Hawtdawg was in the room. Only this time, it sure as shit wasn't funny.

"Oh, really? Why the fuck should I believe that, Matt?!" Mello shouted, fisting his hands.

Matt's eyes darted nervously between Mello's hands and his face. Mello's face was completely unguarded, and Matt saw that arrays of emotions were spread out before him, resting on an imaginary silver platter. Matt would've normally read those, taking each one in, but his brain was swarming with panic.

"B-because I'M YOUR FRIEND! Aren't friends supposed to trust each other?!" Matt countered, anger starting to boil in his gut. He promptly got away from Near, not really caring about the reaction he got. All he wanted was for this to over with. Maybe he'd even prefer Hawtdawg to this!

"W-well…" Mello's voice faltered and confidence swelled in Matt's chest. "Well, we can talk about that when we get into the dorm!"

This time, Matt was the surprised one. "What?" He asked, turning to face Mello.

"You heard me! We're going to go settle this in the dorms. Now." Mello commanded, pointing outside the door.

"B-but what about classes?"

"FUCK CLASSES!" Mello shouted.

Matt felt a strong urge to leave with Mello, so Near wouldn't have to endure any of Mello's anger. He knew that Near would probably get a bit roughed up later, but at least it'd be an improvement… hopefully. And hey, Matt was already going to be punished. Why not keep another person from enduring the same thing?

"A-alright. Let's go." Matt muttered, his gaze lowering to the floor as he walked over to Mello, who was clearly trying to keep himself from skinning the redhead. Matt winced at the thought.

Near listened to the conversation, his eyes closed. His throbbing head was getting worse, and his dizziness persisted. Later, he'd apologize to Matt for this whole thing. At the moment, though, Near grabbed his bag, writing utensils, notebook, and Optimus Prime, and left. He made his way out of the room slowly and then down to the nurse, who put ice on his face and head, where a bump from the desk had started to grow, and ordered him to stay in bed the rest of the day.

Near was fine with it. He didn't feel like he could make it through the rest of the day, anyways. Right now, all he wanted to do was sleep and let the ice pack on his head and face heal him. The cold was soothing, though to some it would seem biting and give a worse headache. He slipped into a nice, comforting sleep.

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**A/N:**

Okay, so this was a short chapter, yeah. I might update again on Thursday, but we'll see how everything goes. We love reviews and feedback and we love people who enjoy our stories =3 We also enjoy piña coladas and getting caught in the rain. (Nah, jk, we're not old enough for alcohol) 


	6. Gummy Bears

**A/N:** Hello all who take the time out of their day to visit~ As I promised, updating on Thursday =D I hope this chapter makes up for the last one's shortness. This one's longer =3

Anyways, so Stevey and I have come across something. You see, we already have most of the story typed, and the thing is that the plot we had originally made is taking longer to go through than expected. So I'll put a poll up on my magical page and we want you to vote whether we should add the rest of the plot to a single story, or create multiple sequels and stuff.

Hope you enjoy this new chapter, ya~

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Matt and Mello through the hallway, Mello's steps quick and brisk while Matt lingered slightly behind. Matt did feel a flicker of relief spark in his chest, a bit satisfied that Near wasn't beaten to death by Matt's furious room-mate. Although… Matt's heart sunk. That probably meant that he wouldn't get away unscathed.

"Uhm… Mello?"

"What the hell do you want?" Mello's voice had lowered considerably, though his glare was still as deadly.

Anything and everything Matt was even barely considering saying was silenced immediately.

"I'll tell you everything when we get to the room, ok?" Matt managed to muster up the courage to speak after a minute or so of uncomfortable, but welcomed, silence.

"Yeah, whatever." Came the mumbled reply.

The two soon returned to the room, and almost immediately after, Mello had started throwing random questions at him.

"Ok, so get to it! What was that? Why was he hugging you?! Hell, I couldn't care less why, but why the hell were you letting him?!" Mello shouted, waving his hands in the air. Matt took a step towards the door, surprised.

"I-I…" Suddenly, his well though-out plan poofed into nothingness. "One question at a time!" Matt raised his voice, something he didn't do all the time.

Mello frowned, crossing his arms and scowling at the flustered redhead.

"See, you know that Hawtdawg freak?" Matt started, small pieces of his plan starting to align again.

Mello nodded, not really sure how this applied to the current situation.

"Yeah. Well, he decides it'd be funny to sing in his God-awful voice and molest my hair with his hand and shove my face into his shin." Matt continued, earning a horrified stare from Mello that soon turned into another infuriated gaze. Luckily, Matt had a feeling this wasn't directed towards him. "Anyways, he stripped himself down to his boxers, jumped off my desk, and started throwing random kids out of their seats. One of those kids was Near, and he must have passed out or something, because I fell asleep and when I woke up, Near was lying on the floor." Matt shrugged.

Mello's expression morphed once more, this time going to amusement.

Matt could've sworn he heard what sounded like 'damned wimp.' Coming from Mello, but he really didn't care.

"So, I walked over there to see what was going on, he stood up, and fell on me. That's all." Matt finished, crossing his arms in a similar fashion to what Mello was doing.

"Can I play my games now?"

Mello opened his mouth, closed it, and nodded slightly.

Relieved, Matt walked over to the bed, close to where Mello was standing.

Only to be slapped in the face by Mello.

Pain throbbed through Matt's senses, his ears ringing with the aftershock of the loud 'twang' that accompanied the action.

"OW!" He shouted, grabbing his now sensitive face and frowning at Mello. "What the hell was that for?!"

"For not doing the right thing and punching Hawtdawg in the balls!" Mello retorted, frowning. Matt sighed, and picked up his gameboy, walking over to his own bed and sitting down on it.

"Damn. You really know how to bitch-slap someone, Mello." He breathed. Judging by the fact that Mello didn't retaliate, Matt assumed that the blonde hadn't heard the comment.

Thank god.

Near awoke some hours later to find that his white room was ablaze with the glare of the orange sun setting. He had slept all through lunch and the rest of his classes. Someone had clearly come into his room while he was asleep because there was an extra ice pack resting on the bedside table, along with boxes of candy and some toys. Also on his bedside table was a note which read:

"_Near,_

_My dearest apologies for the actions and events that have occurred today. Franklin, or "Hawtdawg", has been dealt with properly, and we hope you can find it in your heart to not bear a grudge against him._

_Please accept these candies as an apology from Franklin. We have also laid out some of your favorite toys to enjoy while you take your time to restore to your full health. You are excused from classes for the next two days until the wounds on your head and face heal properly._

_You will be assigned an assistant to help you as you recover, as we aren't sure how serious the effect on you the bump will have. One can't be entirely sure when it comes to head injuries, even with the most advanced technology._

_Sincerest Apologies,_

_Roger."_

Near gave a slight smirk, as he was very satisfied that he wouldn't have to face Mello any time soon. If Mello was harassing him during this time, he would definitely be punished severely. Though Near was sure Mello had enough pride to know that beating up an injured person was low and couldn't be considered honorable.

A thought made itself known to Near. He suddenly thought about Matt for a moment. Was he alright? How much trouble had Near caused him? Near would definitely have to apologize to Matt. After all, he hadn't intended to bring anyone into his and Mello's rivalry, which was already out of control as it was.

Another thought appeared in Near's head. Mello and Matt were best friends, and with Mello acting on his emotions as much as he did, it would put a strain on their friendship. On the other hand, Mello might've treated Matt nicer _because_ they were best friends. It was rather interesting because, either way, Matt would still consider Mello his best friend. Their relationship was sickeningly familiar to that of a dog and its master.

Near poured out candies all over his bed and picked through them, arranging them by color, then by shape, then by size. Finally, he shoved aside the other candies and focused on the gummy bears only. He looked over their several colors and began playing with them as if they were dolls.

Around five minutes or so later, the room had fallen silent. Matt, losing his patience around the twenties, decided to just eat it like he normally would.

Just then, a knock came on the door.

Matt stood up, his mind trying to figure out why someone was trying to contact them. He opened the door, seeing as Matt didn't get any objections from Mello, and looked up at the man in surprise.

"Roger?"

"Hello Matt. I have some great news for you." The smile that flashed on Rodger's face made Matt's stomach plummet to the floor.

Something was probably very, very wrong.

"Yeah, get on with it." Matt mumbled.

"You've been assigned as Near's assistant for the next two days. You have been excused of your classes during that period of time, and you _will_ keep Near company during this time. Keep in mind that he is recovering, so no roughhousing."

If Matt hadn't just swallowed his lollipop remnants moments before, he would have upchucked them all over the old man.

"Uhm…" Matt could practically feel the intense glare that was coming from a certain blonde behind him.

"Thank you." Without even waiting for a conformation or denial, Roger closed the door, leaving the two boys once again.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Mello shouted, making Matt almost jump up in surprise. "What was that?! Matt, say that there's no way you'll ever do this."

Matt wished desperately he could say so, but he found himself opposing Mello- something he almost never did.

"I can't! What if they throw me out or something for not doing it, though?!" Matt countered, raking a hand angrily through his hair. "Where else would I go?! What the hell would happen? I can't be kicked out! You know that just as well as I do, damnit!"

Mello didn't respond.

"Well, I suppose I'll just have to break the news to wonderboy over there. This will be fun." Matt muttered sarcastically, rolling his eyes as he walked over to his own door, walking outside. He walked a bit to the right, faced the door, and knocked.

"Come in." Near responded, uninterested in who entered his room. He was sitting up with his legs crossed under the blankets. His bed was littered with gummy bears, and he held two; one in each of his hands. In his lap, there was a single gummy bear with its head bitten off. The gummy bear in his right hand was yellow, the gummy bear in his left hand was red, and the gummy bear in his lap was white. He was pressing the red and the yellow gummy bears together as if they were kissing, and the white gummy bear was propped up pathetically against his stomach, watching the two other gummy bears, though it had no head.

Matt walked in, looking at the boy's little scene going on. He didn't really pay any attention to the colors; he did know that there were two kissing gummy bears, and that one had been decapitated.

"Uhm… Hi." Matt started, not really knowing what to say. "Pardon my French, but what the hell are you doing?" He asked, looking closely at the scene. This was when he noticed something.

"Wait… those two are red and yellow, and that was is white. My hair is red, Mello's hair is yellow, and your hair is white." He said, half to himself.

He turned to face Near's face with a horribly confused expression.

"Seriously now, what the hell is this?"

Near looked up when he heard Matt's voice. "Hello, Matt," he responded when greeted. He then looked over his scene and the gummy bears, the back at Matt. "Well, you seem to understand the colors and whom they represent. I'm sure you could figure the rest out." Near let out a small sigh, as his head was still hurting.

Matt gaped at Near, not even bothering to hold back his surprise.

"Why the hell are Mello and me kissing?" He asked, a blush forming on his face at the very thought of kissing someone, let alone his best friend- let alone a boy.

"And why would your head be cut off, anyways? I'm sure the sight of Mello and me kissing isn't that revolting… is it?" he asked.

Matt suddenly remembered why he was there in the first place. "A-anyways, I've been assigned to stalk you for the next two days. Congrats."

"You and Mello share a close bond. However, it's an odd bond. Mello remains high, mighty, and towering over you as master of everything, including most of your life, and you remain as his faithful dog. You'd go back to him even if he beat you up. It's quite tragic… The life of a dog whose abused, but knows nothing else." Near explained quietly, not exactly answering Matt's question. He himself had no idea why he'd set things up this way. "The sight wouldn't be revolting," Near spoke up, "but it's something I wouldn't be _allowed_ to see, and something I wouldn't _want_ to see."

Near continued on. "Hmm, so you're the assistant that Roger informed me about. I must say I expected an adult, but I suppose you'll suffice. However, if you attract Mello in here, I guarantee it'll only make things worse. By the way, I apologize for…" Near paused, "_hugging_ you and getting you in trouble with Mello."

Matt frowned. Nobody called him a dog.

"For your information, _Near_, I am not anyone's dog." He clarified, prodding the boy in the chest with his finger. "Secondly, I don't believe that was a hug. _YOU_ are an emotionless being incapable of feeling anything other than anger and apathy. You did not _hug_ me, you _fell_ on me." He inched a tiny fraction closer to Near's face, scowling. Matt's eyes glared darkly through his goggles, and he wondered in the back of his mind whether Near could see his eyes through the thick plastic.

"I don't want to hand around you all day just as much as you- so just don't bother me, and this should go along smoothly." Matt continued on. "And please, dear god, stop with your crazy gummy bear fantasies. They make me want to puke all over your nice white head." He practically growled, sweeping a mass of gummies off the bed so he could sit a good few inches away from Near.

"I apologize if I threatened you, but it was only a very accurate comparison." Near shrank away from Matt's touch. He didn't respond to Matt's statements of him being an emotionless being. Near had actually hoped Matt would be more bearable than Mello, but it didn't seem that way. Mello's anger had rubbed off on Matt. It was too bad, especially since Near had thought they wouldn't interact at all. It was worse to interact badly than to not interact at all.

"Please get away from me. I don't appreciate the close proximity." Near said after a moment, mashing the two gummy bears tighter together.

Matt sighed, scooting away from Near eagerly.

"Whatever. Apology accepted, I guess." He mumbled, picking up a green gummy bead and popping it into his mouth. He looked down at Near's little scene again, finding himself unable to look away, no matter how much his face contorted with disgust.

"Hmph."

Near decided to experiment after a moment of continuous mashing of gummy bears. "Matt," he said, "how do you feel when I do this?" He tore the yellow gummy bear to bits and threw the bits onto the floor. "And how do you feel when I do this?" He proceeded to slowly lick the red gummy bear still left in his hand. Near was actually quite curious to see Matt's reactions.

Matt didn't really react to the yellow gummy bear's demise. He assumed it was just Near being immature. Though… His eyes widened, his mouth dropped, and his face reddened immensely when his gummy bear got its own special… treatment.

"I think I want to die." He managed to squeak out, eyes fixated on Near's face, horror alight in every inch of his eyes. "You are starting to give me rather nasty mind images that I will never be able to rid myself of, and I will be forever forced to be tormented with these memories." Something stirred in the back of his throat, and he coughed.

"Matt, I feel you are being quite immature; this is merely a gummy bear." Near frowned visibly at Matt, then slowly pressed the gummy bear into his mouth, licking his lips when he was finished. "Your reactions would be more mature if I was licking one of my dolls of you." Near explained. The urge to experiment with Matt's reactions became greater as Near's curiosity about the redhead grew.

"I think you'll need to give me a bath later, as I don't feel I can give myself one without getting dizzy and nauseous." Near's face remained expressionless.

Matt's eyes widened even more at the comment about the dolls.

"… What? You have dolls of me- wait, WHAT?!" Matt was sent into a miniature coughing fit, his face reddening even more than it was before.

"I have to- are you- I have to bathe you?! Like, undress you and all that?!" Matt echoed. "W-what the- oh, god, why did I accept this?" He murmured, burying his face in his palms, letting out a disbelieving groan.

"I have dolls of many people, Matt, not just you. Don't think you're special to me in any way," Near replied calmly. "I wasn't serious about the bath. Why would I let you touch my body? I don't think our relationship is ready for that quite yet." Although Near was after Matt's reaction again, he was growing bored. He could only take so much negativity. Not to mention, all of Matt's reactions were practically the same so far.

"Do you hate me, Matt?" Near mentally stabbed himself for asking. He hadn't meant to ask that question because that was bargaining for more truth than he could handle. His curiosity was powerful, though, and he really did want to know. He assumed Matt's answer would be something like "I don't hate you, but I don't like you", but dislike was as bad as hatred.

"I'm just a bit curious… is all. You don't have to answer the question. I can guess what the answer will be anyways," Near said, pushing his bed sheets down so that he could get out from under them. He stumbled as his dizziness persisted, and he fell against the wall about five feet from his bed. Not wanting to rely on Matt's help, Near steadied himself against the wall, and then carefully made his way around the bed and over to his L puzzle in the corner, which he dismantled and then started rebuilding.

Matt watched silently as Near worked on his puzzle, another pang of sympathy twisting his gut. Matt wondered what it'd be like to have no friends- losing Mello would be like being chained to Hawtdawg and having him burn all of his video games. Only worse.

"I don't hate you, if that's what you're asking." Matt muttered, looking off to the side. "I just hate it when people call me things like that." Looking up at Near again, he added, "and I would really appreciate it if you stopped making jokes like that."

Near didn't reply. He worked on the puzzle religiously, but he couldn't fully focus on it. There was the sickening feeling of Matt watching his every move. It felt as if that pair of eyes, obscured by orange goggles, was burning a hole into his back. Needless to say, it was rather uncomfortable. Near wasn't used to having someone watch him like that, unless it had been Mello. Even then, however, Mello had someone else to talk to and stare at, so it wasn't as constant as Matt's staring.

Weird, anxious feelings flooded throughout Near, and he wished he could've screamed at Matt to stop staring at him. It was slowly maddening him in an insane way. He wasn't sure how long he could remain silent. The minutes passed by irritatingly slow, and Near still felt as though Matt was staring at him. Finally, Near had to say something.

"Matt," Near called without looking over his shoulder, "I'm feeling a bit famished. Would it be too much trouble to ask if you would get me something from the kitchen? I don't care what you bring as long as it's something you'd eat yourself."

Matt sighed. "Yeah, sure." He complied, shrugging as he stood up. He walked over to the door, turned the doorknob, and opened the door, stepping outside. For some reason, there was a small part of his brain that told Matt to lock himself in the bathroom with his tootsie pops and video games. He shrugged off the feeling, but there was an odd nagging sensation in the back of his head that he just couldn't identify.

"Ugh. I'm not really hungry... Guess he'll just have to live with some Mac n' Cheese." Matt continued on, muttering to himself. "Nah, I don't think he'd like that... and other than those... Gummy bears... I don't think Near would want any sweets." Matt suddenly stopped, frowning to himself.

"Wait, what? Near said to get what I'd want. Why am I considering his opinion?" Matt wondered aloud, walking towards the kitchen. "Eh, I guess it wouldn't hurt. The happier he is, the less he'll bug me, and the quicker this will be over with." Matt wasn't really paying attention to his surroundings at this point. He walked into the kitchen, and looked at his options.

In the end, Matt ended up choosing a steaming hot plate of spinach lasagna. Despite the fact that it had spinach in it, Matt actually found himself having the urge to eat some of it. It looked... delicious. He soon stopped by Near's door.

"He'd better like this." Matt sighed. He twisted the doorknob, only to be faced with a totally new problem.

The door was locked.

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**A/N:** Hosnap! Cliffhanger! =D Anyhoo, review and stuff cuz it makes us happy. So ya~ Stay tuned until Monday when we reveal whether Matt gets into the room or not~


	7. Fancy Some Toilet Water with your Nap?

**A/N:** So here we are again. Me the writer writing the author's note, and you the reader who might actually read the author's note. I don't have much to say except thanks to Suicidal Mind- for making Steve and I feel special. Enjoy the chapter, home dawg.

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Yes, Near had locked the door while Matt was away. He had done so because he couldn't stand the staring Matt did. It was even worse because the distance from his bed to his L puzzle, he couldn't clearly see Matt's eyes. Near couldn't be sure of what Matt was looking at, and since his head was turned the same direction as Near was, Near cold only conclude that Matt had been staring at him. When Near heard the doorknob jiggle, he nearly burst into chuckles.

"Matt?" Near asked, though he already knew the answer to his question. "Matt, is that you? Is there something wrong with the door?"

Matt had a strong feeling that Near had locked him out.

"NEAR! OPEN THE DOOR, DAMNIT!" He shouted angrily, pounding his fist against the door. Mello came out from the door next to him, almost as though on cue.

"Matt? What the hell did Near do now?" Mello asked, crossing his arms. Matt pondered on the answer, then decided to lie. Getting Near in trouble would only mean more trouble for Matt.

"I dunno. I think the doorknob's jammed or something. NEAR!" Matt was almost surprised at how his voice didn't waver like it usually did when he lied. Maybe because Matt really didn't know what Near did. "Open the door!" Matt turned back to Mello, sighing.

"Want me to break down the door for you?" Mello asked. Matt laughed, something he hadn't done in the past couple days.

"No, that's okay. I'll just wait out here until he opens the door. You can go if you want; I'll be fine by myself." Matt replied.

"Matt, there must be something wrong with the doorknob. It's not- it's not turning." Near jiggled the doorknob, though he knew it was locked. He just had to make sure Matt bought it. When Near heard Mello's voice, he decided to make things a bit more interesting, and toy with both Matt and Mello.

"Mello," Near shouted through the door, "Mello you really need to get Matt in here! I don't know what I'd do if he didn't just sit on my bed staring at me while I'm trying to ignore him! I think maybe your puppy has taken a liking to staring at me and all my 1 perfection." Near wondered how this would pan out. It was quite interesting, though the thought of Mello breaking his door down did sound unpleasant to Near.

Matt coughed loudly, almost falling over in surprise. "NEAR! STOP CALLING ME A DOG, DAMNIT! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" He threw himself at the door again, now 100% positive Near had locked it. Damn him. "And what else was I supposed to look at, the gummy bears?!" He demanded, his voice rising. Mello cocked his head to one side.

"What's all this about gummy bears?" Mello asked.

Matt sighed. "I-it's nothing." He frowned, feeling heat rise to his face at the memory. He turned back towards to door, his anger levels increasing steadily. "And Near, open the door already! I swear, if you're giving your 'special treatment' to one of your DOLLS-!"

"Matt, the only doll I would ever give special treatment to is yours. I have a shrine in my closet dedicated to your doll, which I give special treatment to every night while I'm covered in body paint and butt-naked." Near sarcastically said, not appreciating the doll stab. "I feel now is a good time for what the gummy bears did to actually happen based on the symbolism placed within each of them. Please enjoy tasting your master and don't be afraid to hold back." Near was getting slightly annoyed now. He didn't want to argue with Matt, but he didn't want Matt in the room, and he also didn't want Matt to get in trouble on his behalf. It was quite a contradictory situation.

Matt choked on air, and Mello spat all of the chocolate he was eating on onto the floor.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Matt shouted, staring at the door in absolute horror. "WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN SMOKING, NEAR?!" He was practically screaming at this point; a small part of his brain was trying desperately to calm Matt down, but it was failing miserably.

"TASTE?! What the hell do you expect Matt and me to do!? DAMNIT MATT, TELL ME ABOUT THE GUMMY BEARS!" Mello shouted.

"Near was attempting to hide his sick, twisted fetishes by making his gummy bears do god-awful things!" Matt slammed himself against the door again, wishing for it to magically disappear so he could kill Near. "And for the last time, Near, I'M NOT A FUCKING DOG!"

"I don't smoke, that was sarcasm, I have no fetishes, gummy bears who represent Matt and Mello enjoy making out, and when you get so angry that you start to cry, who will you go whimpering to, Matt? Certainly not me. You'll go to your comforting master who'll pet you and appreciate you until he gets bored and whips you." Near honestly wasn't even paying attention to what he was saying. He didn't care much for this argument. At the moment, he was occupied with stacking die into towers, and was quite content in doing so.

Matt fisted his free hand, and, letting his anger get the best of him, chucked the plate at Near's door, imagining it to be Near's face. A piece ricocheted off the door and dug itself into the fleshy part of his arm. Matt flinched at the pain, but didn't let anything else appear on his face.

"Mello?" He asked quietly.

"Yeah?"

Matt fought for the right words to say, but failed. He decided to just state his goal. "Please go away."

Mello, surprised, stood there for a few seconds, not really sure how to react. "Uhm... O....kay. Tell me when you kill him, alright?" Mello replied, backing away towards his door with uncertainty.

"I will," Matt muttered, low enough where Mello couldn't hear him. He stood up abruptly, picking up random pieces of glass that had pierced his shirt before moving to his left arm. "Shit," he hissed quietly as he tugged out the shard, biting his teeth at the unexpected pain.

And suddenly, at the corner of his eye, he felt something forming. It felt unfamiliar, but he recognized it all the same. The odd sensation began to make a small pathway down his cheek, and Matt threw off his goggles and brushed away the tear angrily.

"Damn it."

Near flinched at the crash of the plate hitting the door, which, in turn, knocked over his dice tower. Then, it was quiet. There was no sound to be heard at all, and no rebuttal from Matt aside from the glass shattering. After a few moments went by, Near grew worried. Slowly and cautiously, he opened the door, stepping into the hall.

"Matt, are you okay?" Near asked, noticing the redhead's face was quite long a the moment. Near cautiously put his hands on Matt's injured arm. "You're bleeding…" Some guilt stabbed at Near's gut, and he realized he had been childish and immature to argue. He should've just left Matt alone.

"I'm sorry." That was all Near could think to say as he looked into Matt's goggles, trying to see his eyes. Near very rarely said "sorry". Usually, he said "I apologize" which was nowhere near as heartfelt as a simple "sorry". He hoped Matt would forgive him.

Matt looked up at Near, relieved that any and all signs of his momentary 'weakness' had been wiped away.

"Nnngh. It hurts, please don't touch it." Matt murmured quietly, pulling his arm out of Near's warm hands. Matt felt oddly surprised that Near had actually apologize. There was a part of him that wanted to punch Near in the face, but it was quieted at Near's sincere expression.

He meant it.

"I forgive you," Matt muttered, almost too quietly for Near to hear.

"Thank you…" Near replied. "Please let me take care of that cut for you. If it gets infected, there'll be no one for me to lock out of my room." Near tugged at Matt's uninjured arm and subtly nodded his head towards his room. He had a first-aid kit in his room's bathroom.

Matt, not really bothering to object anymore as a bout of drowsiness swept over him, nodded silently. He allowed himself to be lead into Near's room, and wished Near would finish taking care of the cut quickly so he could get some rest.

Near led Matt into the bathroom and sat him down on the closed toilet seat. Then he slowly slid Matt's shirt over his head, and began assessing the cut, wondering what he should do first. He knelt down to retrieve the first-aid kit from underneath the sink, which was across from the toilet. Opening the case carefully, he sprayed disinfectant on Matt's injury. Then he put a bandage over it.

"That should be good. Or do you want me to kiss it better, too?" Near asked, twirling his hair with one hand, and returning the first-aid kit to its place with the other.

Matt bit back a wince at the harsh sting of the disinfectant. The sudden chill of the room was unsettling, and he wanted his shirt back.

"No, I think that will be all, Near," Matt replied, trying to keep his cool this time around. "Thank you." he mumbled around the fabric of his shirt as he pulled it back on.

"No problem, though I thought you were supposed to be the one helping _me_, with my injuries," Near said. "By the way, I apologize for insulting you and locking you out. I don't like being stared at if you have your goggles on. It's unnerving."

Matt felt a yawn beginning to build up in the back of his throat, and let it out, pausing for a couple seconds before replying. "Really?" he asked. Nobody had ever said that before. "I'll just stare at you without my goggles." He rolled his eyes. He blinked, confused as to why his eyelids were suddenly so heavy. Why was he tired all of a sudden? Bringing a hand up to his face, Matt rubbed his eyes, trying to remain looking normal.

Knowing Near, he could probably see through Matt's not-so-clever disguise. The need for sleep started eating away at his insides, starting by making his legs increase their weight tenfold, then slowly creeping up his body. This caused a frown from Matt, along with a stifled sigh. His mind began shifting in and out of focus, eventually sliding between subjects he'd never even thought about that day, and he fought to keep his eyes open. Eventually, he surrendered to the impending darkness, and slumped slightly in his seat as he closed his eyes and fell into unconsciousness.

**

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**A/N: **Will Matt's falling asleep go unnoticed by Near? Pshhh, please. There's no way that could happen XD And of course, Near, being the little trickster he is, won't let Matt walk away scot-free. Now I have a challenge for you! I challenge you to write a review and make a banana talk to you by shaking it! GO!!!


	8. Arguments and Cliché anyone?

**A/N:** Okay, so, it was 11:00. I was painting mah fingernails and I realized I had to update the story. So I just put on the clear finishing coat at 11:30. There's 30 minutes left for me to update the chapter and I'm typing like L does in L: Change the World cuz I dun wanna mess up my nails.

I have an epiphany. I think, "Lolz, ppl who maek their rdrs have a specific numbr of revews b4 they updte r meenie heds XD" Then I'm like, "Oh shizz, I need to format the new chapter and name it!!! NOOOOOO!!!! IMA NEVER MAEK THE DEADLINE T^T" SOOOOO~ I open Microsoft crap and Iz like "OH HAWT DIGGETY DAWG!! IT'S ALREADY FORMATTED WMAHAHA IZ SUCH A GENIUS!!!"

So yeah, woo. Not much else to say except- WAIT I FORGOT TO PROOFREAD IT MRAAAAWR!!!! Okies, idc, and you guys prolly dun care since most of the errors were fixued during the writing… ENJOY AND IF YOU READ THE ENTIRE A/N YOU'RE FRICKEN STUPID!! (JK, but srsly, why would you read my rambling?!)

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A sly smile made its way onto Near's face as he watched Matt fall asleep. He had an idea. Near left the bathroom for a moment to grab a few things, but returned quickly and quietly. He placed a stuffed elephant in Matt's lap, put super glue on Matt's right hand, and attached the hand to the elephant. Then he drew on Matt's face, and glued Matt's left hand to his right knee.

With little more than a quiet chuckle, Near left the bathroom and began playing with his legos, leaving his fallen dice tower on the floor.

Matt awoke with a groan. What time was it? Blinking his eyes, Matt realized his goggles were missing. Where had he left them? Looking around, Matt let out a surprised shout as he looked in the mirror.

"What the hell?!" Matt stared at the bizarre markings scribbled on his face. "N-NEAR!" He yelled, twisting towards the door. "GET OVER HERE!" The lights were still on in the bathroom, so Matt had no idea whether Near was asleep or not. "Hmph. Hope he's asleep. Then I'll have the satisfaction of at least having woken him up. The damn bastard, drawing on my face." As Matt shifted again, he thought he felt something fuzzy brush up against his legs. The feeling soon passed, so Matt shrugged it off. He looked in the mirror again, anger rushing up on him once more.

"I'LL KILL YOU FOR VANDALIZING ME, DAMN IT!" he shouted, standing up from the toilet seat abruptly. Matt's shoulder sockets were given a violent tug, and Matt fell over with a loud 'oof'. "What the-" Matt blinked in surprise at his hands. One was glued to his knee, and the other was glued to… an elephant. Where the hell did that come from?

"N-near?" Matt began, struggling to keep his voice at a normal volume. "Why is there an elephant on my hand?" he asked, twisting a bit on the cold tile floors as he tried to get his hand off his knee. Failure. Frustrated, Matt jerked his hand up. This time, his entire knee flew up, sending Matt toppling backwards.

"OW! Crap, that hurt!" Matt hissed, his head coming into contact with the marble base of the toilet abruptly.

Near chuckled a couple of times as he heard Matt shouting about his face. Then he stood up and slowly made his way over to the bathroom door. There, he saw Matt on the floor with his head against the toilet's base. The fun and the comedic value at this point was actually escalating, but Near knew he had to stop and let Matt be or else he'd eventually be beaten up. Everyone had their limit, even Matt.

So, reluctantly, Near helped Matt back onto the toilet, and retrieved the "un-sticking serum" for the glue from the cabinet underneath the sink. He applied it onto Matt's elephant-filled hand, then dropped the bottled serum into his lap to fix his other hand. He didn't want to free Matt entirely for fear of Matt tackling him.

Near hurriedly left the bathroom and rolled under his bed to hide just in case.

Matt opened his mouth to demand an explanation, but Near was gone before he could even draw in a breath.

"… The hell was that?" he mumbled to himself. "Ah well. At least I've got one hand now…" He lifted his now elephant-free hand and examined it.

"Ew. There's purple fuzz all over this thing." Matt looked at the bottle that was lying in his lap.

"…Well, at least I can free myself now." Matt sighed, grabbing the bottle with his free hand. Looking forward to strangling Near, Matt poured a large amount onto his hand and worked his knee and hand apart.

"I'M FREE!" he yelled, nearly leaping to his feet. The bottle toppled to the floor, its contents spilling to the floor. But Matt really didn't care. "NEAR! YOU SHALL PAY FOR YOUR CRIMES!" he shouted, running for the door and slamming it open. Only to be met with a silent and empty room.

"…What?" Matt frowned, crossing his arms. "Did he just bolt? Damn coward," he huffed, walking over to the bed. He grabbed a lollipop out of his pocket and shoved it into his mouth angrily as he stared at the white mattress. A few moments later, he sat down on the bed, waiting for Near to return.

"…Where is he, anyways?"

Near lie completely still as he heard Matt shout. He breathed as quietly and normally as possible, but it was hard, especially when Matt sat on his bed, the place where he was hiding. Options ran through Near's mind. He had to figure out the quickest way to get out of there or else Matt might find him under the bed. It wasn't a very good hiding place, but then, there weren't many good hiding places in his room that weren't obvious.

The best option made itself known and Near knew that even the chances of getting there might be slim depending on how quickly Matt reacted. He felt terrible running from pain, but if he had any marks on his body Roger might blame Matt when this whole ordeal was Near's fault. Without a second thought Near rolled out from under the bed, dashed into the bathroom and locked the door behind him.

Matt stood up, and managed to get half-way towards the door when it was slammed shut.

"Gah! How is he so fast?" Matt frowned. "He's like a freaking rabbit or something." Matt chuckled lightly at the thought. He walked up to the door, knocking on it lightly. He could imagine what Near crouched behind the toilet or stuffed in a cabinet. He stifled a second laugh.

"Near?" he called. "Open the door, please. I promise I won't kill you!" he offered, his voice sweet, yet laced with sarcasm.

"Matt, if you're going to lie, at least do it directly without any sarcasm." Near sighed, out of breath. He slumped against the door and hung his head in shame. He'd probably gone a bit too far, and now he was embarrassed to be running, even if it was to protect Matt. His pride was suffering, but he couldn't back out now or else things would get worse.

Matt frowned, stepping back from the door and crossing his arms as he rolled the lollipop around in his mouth.

"Aww, come on!" He complained, kicking the door with little force. He didn't really want to break it open; he just felt like kicking something. He focused on the muffled sound of Near breathing.

"Oh?" He cocked his head to one side. "Is the infamous Near _tired_?" He asked, leaning forward slightly. "I never would have guessed." He chuckled. Maybe it wasn't that boring, hanging around Near.

"Even though you believe I am, and I quote, 'an emotionless being incapable of feeling anything other than anger and apathy,' I am actually human. Therefore, I grow tired sometimes." Near frowned, unsure of how long he'd be locked inside the bathroom.

"What would it take for you not to harm me if I come out of the bathroom?" Near asked.

Matt frowned, taking longer than necessary to answer.

"Oh, I don't know. An apology and a bag of lollipops should keep my hands off you. But do that again, and I swear-," Matt stopped then, and backed off. "Anyways, will you get out of there already? This is getting boring, not being able to argue with you face to face." This statement wasn't really true; Matt found this whole situation quite silly. He never thought Near would actually run away like that.

"Fine, I apologize. I'll give you the lollipops by tomorrow." Near rolled his eyes, not liking to have to submit to Matt's will. Though he agreed with Matt that this was getting boring, he didn't come out of the bathroom yet. After a moment of thought, Near spoke up.

"You must be wondering why I'm running away from you like this, especially since I stood up to Mello without even flinching," Near guessed softly.

Matt sighed. How did Near always seem to guess what he was thinking?

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am. Would you get out of the bathroom now?" Matt asked for a second time. "I don't like talking to people through a door."

Near stood and unlocked the door. "I'm not afraid of you or any pain you could cause me, but I was running for your sake. If you don't understand what I mean, then perhaps you should do a little thinking," he said as he slowly opened the door, keeping his eyes trained on his feet.

Matt, not wanting any more trouble, stepped back and glued his eyes to the floor.

"What?" He asked, not really sure what to say. How would that be protecting him? Matt thought about it for a few seconds.

"Oh." He understood now. If Near appeared hurt, Matt would get blamed for it.

"So, should I keep Mello from laying a finger on you?" He asked, though he already knew the answer.

"That would be unnecessary, I think. There's no reason for you to get involved. The more you interfere, the more trouble you'd get into," Near replied. "However, don't get me wrong by thinking I care about you personally. I simply don't want to get _anyone_ involved in Mello's and my petty matters."

Matt sighed.

"Ugh. See, that is me offering you an olive basket, and that is you throwing it in my face," he replied. Matt wasn't expecting a rejection like that. "And did I ever say I thought you cared for me personally?" he probed. He didn't think Near cared about him. Why would he? Matt had caused Near nothing but trouble.

"But if you insist. Just don't blame me when you get beaten up." Matt sighed, going back to sit on Near's bed.

"How is keeping you out of trouble throwing an olive basket in your face? If anything, it's doing you a favor." Near looked up at Matt and narrowed his eyes. "I just didn't want you to get the wrong idea, and I know that it's my fault for always getting beaten up. I never blamed you, nor do I ever plan to blame you." Near was growing sick of the constant arguing, as he had before.

Wishing to end the confrontation, Near went back to his legos and silently began to play with them.

Matt frowned. He had a feeling that Near was finished with the conversation. Well, if Near was done, then Matt would be too.

"Whatever." Matt replied, sighing. "Just make sure that those lollipops are tootsie pops, ok?" He asked. There was a part of his head that wanted to keep talking, but he had nothing to talk about. _'Damn it, why do I want to talk now? It's so much easier to talk to Mello.'_

"Okay," Near replied. He felt awkward now in this uncomfortable silence. There was no irritating feeling of being stared at this time, but this was worse. "Your goggles are in the hall, by the way."

Matt blinked, surprised at hearing Near's voice.

"Oh!" He stood up, and quickly left the room. There seemed to be an odd weight hanging on him, and it vanished when he left the room.

"Hm. I should stay out here more often." Matt sighed in an odd relief, leaning against the door. Then, as he put the goggles back on.

"Or not. Near would probably get upset." After a few more seconds, Matt walked in, and he almost frowned in response to the sudden re-appearance of the weight he now deemed as the consequence of an awkward situation.

The awkwardness of the situation and the silence annoyed Near. He wished that he and Matt could simply sit in a room together silently with a _comforting_ feeling. Near couldn't even focus on his legos now. It was quite infuriating.

"Matt, could you please say something? This awkward silence is really annoying," Near said.

Matt looked up in surprise. Near wanted to talk?

"Uh… so… you like gummy bears, huh?" Matt asked, making a rather sad attempt at starting a conversation.

"Not particularly. Sweets aren't really my thing. I like gummy bears more as toys than as candies. Their bear shape make them look like dolls," Near replied, appreciating the conversation, even if it was forced.

Matt nodded absent-mindedly. "Huh. I guess so. If you enjoy playing with toys so much, then why don't you get someone else to play with you? It must get boring." Matt frowned.

Near looked at Matt over his shoulder. Expressionlessly he said, "No one would want to play with me."

Matt frowned at that. "T-that's not true!" he retorted. Matt honestly had no idea what he was saying. Of course nobody would want to play with Near. Most people hadn't even had a conversation with Near.

"It is true, Matt. Nobody likes me." Near kept his eyes on Matt.

Matt found it hard to keep a constant gaze with Near. He felt like his mind was being probed.

"Hmph. Well, suit yourself. If you don't want a friend, then I won't change that."

"Matt, didn't you just hear me? No one _likes_ me. I think… most people are too intimidated by me, or are too jealous of me to even talk to me. It's not something I can control, Matt." Near wondered why he said Matt's name so much. There wasn't anyone else in the room. Maybe the reason was that there _was_ someone else in the room besides Near. Maybe he kept saying Matt's name because he couldn't believe there was someone in his room.

Matt sighed.

"Will you please stop saying my name?" he asked. "It's getting kinda annoying." Matt muttered.

"I apologize. I didn't realize I was saying it so much," Near lied.

Matt rolled his eyes. "Now you know." He joked lightly, trying to lighten the mood.

"Did you dye your hair? It looks unrealistically red…" Near asked. He'd been curious for a while, but had never spoken up about it.

Matt looked at Near. He hadn't expected a question like that. "Uh… No." He tried to break his gaze from Near, but was unable to. "I'm one-hundred percent organic!" He grinned, pointing to his chest with his thumb.

"It's nice to know you're a natural living thing. I was beginning to think you were a robot." Near gave a small smile.

Matt laughed quietly. "I'm glad we've cleared that up." His grin widened.

"As am I. Although, it'd be nice to program you to do ridiculous things…" Near's voice trailed off mischievously as he turned back to his legos.

"Ha, like what? Would you like me to go raid the nearest Hasbro company?" Matt offered, leaning forward a bit.

"No, that would be silly. Something more along the lines of… embarrassing you out of your mind by making you do things like the ones Hawtdawg does," Near replied.

Matt grinned, an idea coming to mind.

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow. "Of course, I can totally imagine _that_." Standing up on the bed, Matt grabbed the air in front of his shirt, thrusting his arms into the air in a mock imitation of Hawtdawg.

"You are the one, the one that lies close to me! Whispers hello, I missed you quite terribly! I fell in love in love with you, suddenly! Now there's no place else I could be but here in your arms!" He sang, his arms still up in the air, laughing slightly as he finished.

Near chuckled as he watched Matt. "Now you just need to find someone's space to invade and then strip to your boxer shorts."

Matt laughed. "Yeah, I bet Mello would enjoy that." He grinned. "Though I bet I wouldn't live to see another day if I actually did that to him." Matt continued.

"I think he'd be too surprised or turned on to kill you." Near disagreed.

Matt rolled his eyes, trying to keep himself from bursting into a fit of laughter. "Oh yes. I'm sure he would definitely get turned on by the sight of sexy ol' me in my lovely boxers."

Near chuckled a little, but a yawn overcame him. His eyelids were heavy now, and his vision was growing fuzzy. Usually, he wouldn't fall asleep this quickly, but he'd had a long day. He surrendered his body and was carried off into a land of slumber and dreams.

Matt sighed. "Well, aren't you tired?" he muttered, rolling his eyes. He got off the bed, and walked over to Near.

"What am I going to do now?" He asked. Matt didn't want to pick Near up or anything, but it'd be better than leaving him on the floor, right? He sighed, shaking his head.

"Damnit Matt, just suck it up." He muttered, leaning over Near's sleeping form. Matt hesitated for a while before picking up the younger child.

"Hmph. Would've expected you to be lighter than that. Oh well," Matt grunted quietly as he stood up. "Let's get you to bed, you big fatty." He chuckled lightly, setting Near down on the sheets. He then took those sheets and pulled them over Near.

"Good night." Matt crouched down and ruffled Near's hair.

Still asleep, Near unconsciously reached out and grabbed at Matt's shirt. He held it tightly in his hands once he got hold of it.

Matt blinked as he felt the fabric of his shirt being tugged. "Uhm… Near?" He asked, wondering whether Near was awake or not. "What are you doing?" He poked the hand, which was surprisingly warm, but it didn't budge. Matt sighed.

"Joy. Looks like tonight's going to be a long one." Matt sighed. He leaned forward, crossing his arms over the bed and leaning his head in it. It felt like a school desk made out of cotton candy. Matt sighed subconsciously at the thought. He wasn't tired yet, but he closed his eyes anyways.

After an hour of restless shifting, Matt finally managed to fall into unconsciousness once more.

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**A/N: **So I bet, liek, half of you are liek "D'aaaaw~! 8D" and the other half's like "WTF SO CLICHÉ" and I agree with both… I think this might be the point where Near starts going out of character… MEEEEH!!! Mello gets rly OOC somewhere along the line, but w/e. That's liek 10 chapters away and you won't see it for months =D OH!

_**IMPORTANT:**_ I might start updating the story more quickly because it's going so slow and we (Steve and I) decided to split our huge plot into separate stories and sequels. If I decide to start updating quicker, the next chapter will be up on Thursday. You might not be that lucky, but oh well! (I'm so humble 8D)


	9. In the Night

**A/N:** Okay, I'm sorry for not updating on Thursday, but I've been really busy since school is almost over and stuff! I wasn't a genius this week and so I had to actually create the chapter from the big giant Word document, and then I had to format it and it's not proofread and I know it's really choppy and the character switching doesn't work all that well here, but I did what I had to and it's a little shorter than the other chapters, but I tried my best and I hope you appreciate it!

P.S. Sorry for ruining your lives and cramming eleven cookies into the VCR!!! (I'll glomp the first person who recognizes where that quote's from XD It's not even the holidays, but yeah. I just gave a hint. Shoot.)

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When Near opened his eyes, he was confused as the sight of red hair came into view. He blinked his drowsiness away and looked at the clock on his bedside table. It read 2:00AM. Near wondered why Matt was sleeping 'heads-up seven-up' style on the edge of his bed. Not wanting to wake Matt up, but also wanting Matt to be comfortable, Near decided to pull Matt up onto the bed, which was hard, considering Matt's greater weight and also considering the fact that Near had to be gentle so as to not wake him up. Near managed to successfully do it, however, and he pulled the sheets over Matt with a warm smile.

Near closed his eyes to go to sleep, but something was bothering Near and it wouldn't allow sleep to overtake him. Near opened his eyes, wondering what was bothering him. After a moment, he realized what it was, and, with great caution, he pulled Matt's goggles off and put them on the bedside table next to the clock. Near couldn't help the light pink blush that appeared on his cheeks when he saw Matt's sleeping face without the goggles. Near let out a silent chuckle, smiled, and fell back asleep.

--Scene Break--

Mello sat up on his bed, the cringing springs splitting the silence like a hammer to an egg. He looked about the room; what had woken him up? His gaze flickered about the room, looking for something to blame his restlessness upon. His gaze shifted towards the empty bed beside him.

"…What?" Mello cocked his head to the side, confused. "Where did Matt go?" Suddenly, he remembered how Matt had left the room after reading a letter of some sort. And how they had fought earlier outside Near's room… Mello groaned.

"Oh, _joy_."

He slid off the bed, and walked over to the door, rubbing his eyes groggily. His feet, clad in old worn slippers, practically dragged on the floor before he came to a stop. Mello lifted up his arm, still heavy with sleep, and twisted the knob to open the door.

"Ngh… Since when has this door been so darn _heavy_?" he grunted as he stumbled, looking almost drunken, out of the room. He blinked a few more times, trying to get the sleepiness out of his eyes. His vision, which was slightly fuzzy, sharpened considerably, and he made out the door to Near's room. The blonde suddenly realized that this was probably in the middle of the night, and most of the orphans were likely asleep. Mello realized that the lights were on; he shuffled his way over to the door, trying to make as little noise as possible. He pressed his ear to the door; all he heard was breathing- wait. He paused, raising an eyebrow in confusion. Was that… two people in there? Since when did Near have someone in his room, let alone overnight? Mello assumed it was probably some 'breathing toy' or whatnot, but Mello wanted to be sure. He slowly opened the door, and looked inside.

Matt was in the bed, and that was the first and only thing Mello noticed. His mind reeled in confusion, and he stepped into the room, cocking his head to one side.

"Matt?" Then after realization struck, all drowsiness faded away. "HOLY SHIT!! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING IN NEAR'S BED!?!?"

Near awoke with a start in reaction to Mello's shouting. He sat up, worriedly and looked at Matt.

Matt sat up, almost in a jolt.

"What? What's going on-," he stopped as he looked over at Mello. "Oh, shit. M-Mello-,"

"Let me guess, it's not what I think?" Mello practically growled at the redhead.

"Yeah! That's exactly it!" Matt slapped his forehead. "Who would have guessed?" he asked sarcastically.

"Well then, why don't you tell me exactly what the fuck you're doing with Near in bed, huh? Let's start at that," Mello retorted, fisting his hands.

Matt shrugged. "Whatever you say," he replied, struggling to keep his voice under control. He really felt like he could smack the sense into Mello, but he knew it wouldn't help his position one bit. "Near fell asleep, and I tucked him in like the good mommy that I am. Are you proud of me?" Matt grinned.

Mello's face was turning a nasty shade of red- in fact, he was almost purple. "Why the hell would I be proud of you?! You're sleeping with JESUS FUCKING NEAR!" Mello shouted.

Yes, it was definitely purple.

"So?" Matt asked. He really wished that he could talk this out in a quieter, more civilized manner, but that was like trying to teach a goat sign language. It would never work out. "Just because we're in the same bed doesn't mean that I'm getting into his pants, thank you very much." Matt frowned.

"Mello, you should listen to Matt. I find it insulting that you think we had the audacity to engage in such uncivilized acts, especially at such a young age. And if that's not the case, and you're actually just worried Matt might find my companionship more fruitful and enjoyable, then perhaps you don't know Matt at all. While Matt and I aren't the bitterest of enemies, we are also not the best of friends." Near spoke up, hoping to get Mello to think the situation through carefully before acting.

Mello clenched his teeth, and Matt prayed that Mello would see some sense.

"…" The room had grown into an uncomfortable silence. Matt wondered when Mello would speak up.

"I never thought that you two were… hooking up, Matt," Mello muttered, his cheeks reddening. Matt hoped that meant that he wasn't going to die at that moment. And Near was saying his name a lot again... Why did he keep doing that?

"Oh," Matt sighed, wondering why his mind had jumped to that conclusion. "Ok, I'm tired, so can I please get back to sleep?" he asked as he stood up. Near's warmth wasn't unpleasant, but the close proximity made Matt feel awkward. "I don't mind sleeping on the floor," he pointed out, sitting down on said carpet.

Mello huffed. "As long as you're not in the same bed, I guess it's not that bad… Near, if you touch him, I swear to God I'll kill you," Mello warned, pointed at the white-headed child.

Matt rolled his eyes.

"Yes, because it's common knowledge that I'm just _itching_ to get my hands on Matt." Near vaguely rolled his eyes, curling his hair with his finger.

Matt sighed inwardly, glad that the mood had relaxed somewhat.

"Yeah, leave it to me, Mello! _Nothing_ lays a hand on me and gets away with it!" Matt interjected.

"You can leave my room now, Mello," Near bluntly said. Then he turned to Matt and asked, "Since when am I 'nothing'?"

Mello frowned, but left. Matt watched him leave before returning to look at Near, fidgeting in his seat. He'd meant to say 'nobody', but it had come out wrong… right?

"Slip of the tongue, that's all." Matt muttered.

"Oh, I see," Near mumbled as he curled up under the sheets. A few moments passed in what Near couldn't call uncomfortable, nor comfortable. It was strange, but relieving. After a few minutes of just lying in his bed, Near spoke up, not caring if Matt was already asleep or not.

"I'm sorry for always causing you nothing but trouble… I realize it probably doesn't mean much if I apologize because I seem to do it so often, but I really do feel sorry…"

Matt was lying down on the carpet as Near spoke. Matt had honestly no clue as to why Near was apologizing now. He didn't enjoy fighting with Mello one bit, but was it really that bad? Yes. It was. Near was merely someone who was getting in the way between his and Mello's friendship… Matt repeated the statement a few times in his head, tasting the raw emotions that accompanied it. Anger, denial, surprise… Not one agreed with the other, yet the emotions mixed together with perfect harmony. Matt sighed, curling up slightly.

How was he supposed to respond? Why would Near apologize for causing him trouble? _'He should be apologizing for making my life hell around Mello.'_ He thought bitterly. _'I mean, I don't think he'll be able to look at me in the eyes anymore!_' Clenching his teeth, Matt flipped over to the other side, hoping to find some way to vent his anger in silence.

"Nngh." Matt made a small noise in the back of his throat, hoping it would suffice. He pretended to be asleep, hoping that Near would fall for it.

Near narrowed his eyes. "I know you're still awake," he said. "You aren't very good at acting. And if you're wondering why I'm apologizing, it's because I'm probably ruining your friendship with Mello. Although I doubt Mello deserves a friend like you, I don't want to deprive _you_ of anything…"

Matt frowned.

Damn it.

"Why not?" He muttered. "Why the fuck am I so much more important than Mello? Sure, he beats the shit out of you, but I haven't done anything to stop him! I could've kept him from laying a finger on you! Sure, I'd be the one getting beaten on, but anything to save your ass, right?" He asked quietly, his anger starting to leak through into his voice.

"You've done nothing wrong to me, and I don't blame you for not helping me. I have no friends and I never had any friends. I don't know what it feels like to have a friend or to lose one, but I'm sure it's a terrible feeling. I don't want you to feel that way because you have a friend whom you really enjoy. I wouldn't care if Mello felt that way simply because he's part of the reason I have no friends. If I had friends, he'd probably beat them up, too… People see that, and that's why they avoid me." Near hoped he'd given a satisfactory answer.

Matt sighed. Near's long examples were starting to give him a headache.

"Or maybe they just don't want to hang out with someone who's always observing them, making assumptions, judging them, and then, when something goes ever-so-slightly wrong, you start bitching about it." He replied quietly.

"Now will you shut up and let me sleep? In case you haven't noticed, I've had a long and rather disappointing day."

Near frowned. He didn't judge people, but was that how other people saw him? It was true that Near made assumptions, but he didn't really observe people and he'd never 'bitched' about something. He'd merely argued with what he disagreed with. Near felt something in his stomach, and he wondered what it was, but, to be safe, he locked the feeling away in the small compartment in his mind. Sleep took Near shortly after.

Matt, satisfied with the silence, rolled over once more before closing his eyes again. Chances were, he wasn't going to get much sleep.

--Scene Break--

When morning came, Near awoke, but he pretended to be asleep. He didn't want to get up and face Matt when he woke up. Conflict would surely die down if Near pretended to be asleep for long enough. Perhaps that's what the world needed. Maybe everything would be better if Near just pretended to sleep forever, not bothering anybody, or making anyone angry or jealous… Sure, Near wanted to be L's successor, but was it really worth it if he caused everyone trouble? The thought of Mello becoming L's successor made Near start thinking logically again. If Mello became the next L, things would go into chaos, as he was too volatile and acted on whim without thinking. For now, though, Near pretended to sleep.

Matt rolled onto his other side for what must have been the thousandth time that night. His assumption was right; he only got a couple of hours of that blissful realm of nothingness more commonly known as sleep. He blinked open his eyes, frustrated with his lack of rest. Now, Matt knew he was going to end up whining and complaining the entire day… He bit back a groan, and pulled up his arms.

Oh yeah.

He was on the floor, wasn't he? There are no sheets on the floor.

Matt frowned. He wanted to wake up, but quite frankly, the floor was very comfy. Matt pondered about school for a moment. What time was it- would he be late for school?

That's when he remembered Roger's letter.

He didn't have to go to school for two days.

In return, Near got to make his life a living hell.

Matt would much rather take school over Near at that moment. But he enjoyed the floor, and, not really bothering to figure out whether Near was awake or not, he closed his eyes again to try and get back to sleep.

After all- if at first you don't succeed, try again.

And that was exactly what Matt planned on doing.

Near didn't know how long he'd pretend to sleep, but surely until after Matt was awake. Honestly, although his face still hurt, Near didn't need as much help as Roger had thought. All he intended on doing was playing with his toys and solving his L puzzle countless times. He hardly needed Matt to watch over him for that.

Near had decided that he wouldn't bug Matt as much today as he had yesterday. In fact, Near would _strongly_ encourage Matt to go grab his DS and a few games. The only thing Near would ask Matt to do for him would probably be just getting food, and Matt would have to do that for himself, anyways.

Matt sighed almost inaudibly as he lay on the floor, his fingers itching for his DS, which was in Mello's room. He wondered what time it was, and, consequently, whether Mello was in the room. Matt really didn't want to look at Mello at the moment… his stomach clenched at the memory of the night before.

'_It's fine, Matt. That was all yesterday; you can redeem yourself today, alright? You only have to spend two days with Near…' _He thought, his mouth curling slightly in the beginning of a frown. His stomach gurgled very lightly, though Matt was sure Near heard it.

'_I swear, that kid has superhuman hearing or something…'_ Matt thought. His frown turned into a smile, and he chuckled. Yes, he could just imagine Near in a Superman outfit. _'More like a Powerpuff girl.' _He thought, his smile growing into an almost smirk. His stomach reminded him of its condition, and his face returned to it's expressionless state.

'…_I'm hungry.' _He thought, ignoring his muscles' complaints as he stood up. His back popped as he stretched, and his shoulder even have a slight shift.

"Near, you're floor is very- Nngh- stiff." He spoke, glancing momentarily at Near. The white-headed boy was still in his bed, and he was also facing away from Matt. Near was probably awake at this point, so Matt walked over to him, shaking Near.

"Oi, wonderboy. It's morning time. I'm hungry, what do you want for breakfast?" He asked, stepping back and waiting for a response.

"You," Near deadpanned, turning his head to face Matt and looking into his eyes.

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**A/N: **It's not a great place to stop, but the chapter would be way too long to go after this. Um… review? Love me? Nokay, but srsly, review and tell me what you think of the plot so far and if you think anyone's out of character and man, oh man, I can't believe how OOC Mello gets like 10 chapters later. It's ridiculous! Although, he does-- nvm, you'll figure it out in due time =P

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please review, and have a great day. I know you have a lot of options out there, so thank you for choosing Gummy Bears. Thank you, and please throw all trash away in the nearest garbage receptacle. Thank you, and have a nice day!


	10. Friendship Is Like Peeing Your Pants

**A/N:** Okay, so I'm a little late on updating. I have no excuse. I was sitting on the computer talking to Steve. Anyways, this chapter has some OOC on Near's part, but I'll go more into it at the end of the chapter.

So please enjoy the chapter OOC and all!

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Matt frowned. He understood that Near was just addressing him, probably saying it as his own version of 'hello', but he decided to have some fun with it.

"I'm sorry Near, but I am not on the menu. However, if you are so desperate, you can go eat one of those gummy bears like you did yesterday. Now, is there anything that I _can_ get you?" He replied, keeping his voice void of emotion.

"The fact that you aren't on the menu is quite upsetting. I was really hoping you would serve yourself up on a silver platter. However, due to this inconvenience, I am willing to take eggs, toast, and orange juice in substitution." Near gave a frown.

Matt pulled back, nodding as he made a mental note of what Near requested.

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I shall have to give you your alternative. Thank you for your cooperation." Matt rolled his eyes.

"Matt, if it's no trouble, I'd like my eggs sunny-side up, please." Near added to his request.

Matt nodded.

"Yeah, ok. No biggie, I guess. See you later." He raised his arm very slightly in a small wave before turning around to leave. Matt left the room, and went down the hall, and over to the cafeteria. Hopefully, no questions would be asked why he was out of class and buying breakfast so late.

"Alright… Eggs- sunny side up- uhm… orange juice, toast, check… alright, I think I have everything." Matt muttered to himself as he looked through the line of available foods. "Now. What to get for me?" He continued on, his gaze sweeping the available foods. Bagels, doughnuts, cereal, pancakes, waffles… there was a wide variety of foods to fit the desires of the Wammy House children. Matt went with a whipped cream filled maple bar- one of his favorite doughnuts. He placed it on the large plate, careful to make sure it wasn't touching any of Near's food. Matt wasn't sure whether Near would appreciate whipped cream, no matter how delicious, on his toast- or especially on the eggs. Whipped cream and eggs is not the greatest combination. To drink, Matt grabbed a glass of water. He could practically live on water… Then again, nobody can't. Matt sighed, walking back to the room.

"Ugh. I'm tired."

The halls were ringing with the resounding echo of Frank's- well, Hawtdawg's- steps as he raced through the hallways. He had managed to get away from the classes during the passing period, and was now trying to see whether anyone else was skipping out on class as well. So far, there was pretty much nobody that was still in their rooms. But Hawtdawg had could've sworn that he'd heard footsteps from somewhere in this hallway. But where were they?! Frowning, he slammed open another door- to find, once again, nothing. Hawtdawg cursed under his breath, running ahead. He didn't know why he wanted to find this person so bad, so he blamed it on boredom.

That's when he was a head of red hair walking a few yards ahead of him. Hawtdawg's gaze narrowed, and he slowed his pace down.

Oh, how he hated Matt.

Hawtdawg slowed his pace, though walking quickly enough to catch up to Matt as he was opening the door to his room. With a 'HA!' and a shove, Hawtdawg shoved Matt into the room. Satisfied with his small revenge, Hawtdawg grinned, and left without a second word.

Matt was caught off guard and fell into the room through the door. He tried his best to maintain his balance, taking a few quick steps forward in a successful attempt to keep all the food on the plate. However, Matt hadn't expected Near to be right in the way of his path. He put the brakes on as best he could while keeping the food on the plate, and he managed to stop with one final step of his right leg beside Near. Sadly, Matt hadn't stopped quickly enough, and now his lips were pressed against Near's.

Near had merely been playing with his robots like a good boy. The urge to relieve himself had made itself known, so he was walking towards the bathroom. He certainly did not expect Matt to make such an entry. Honestly, the loud and fast entry scared the crap out of Near. That fear was compared to what was happening now. Matt was kissing Near, _kissing_ him. Near's entire form went stone rigid, except for the feeling of warm liquid running down his leg.

Matt blinked once in surprise, his brain freezing for a moment. When the situation finally registered in his brain, Matt stepped back, his legs working quickly to keep himself from falling backwards into the hallway.

"Holy sh- what the- _who the fuck pushed me_?!" He shouted, turning to look outside. A blush tinged his face, and he was met with an empty hallway.

"Matt…," Near called softly, still a little bit in shock. "I think I may have just soiled myself." Near's stomach grew hollow as he said the words. A flurry of emotions went through Near, and he couldn't make sense of any of them. The majority of these emotions were bad ones, and they all settled in his gut. A tear slipped from the corner of his eye, mostly because he'd peed his pants. He struggled to wipe it away, and frowned visibly.

Matt whipped around, his face reddening more.

"Aw shit, are you kidding me?" He groaned. "Shit, man. Sorry about that, Near. Some bastard pushed me into you." Matt practically growled, his gaze flickering to the side and his hands twitching.

"So…" The mood in this situation was awfully uncomfortable, and Matt's brain cogs were working furiously to find a way to get out of this situation. "IIIIIIIIIIIIIII think I'm going to go get you some new pants. Hope you don't mind me looking through your bo- er, underwear." Matt muttered, quickly walking over to Near's dresser.

"Ok, pants, pants, pants… ok, there's the pants. Ok… let's go down one drawer- ok, that's them. Ok- ugh- here we go. Just grab them with the pants, Matt." Matt told himself quietly. "Ok, here we go. One, two- threeoktherewego." He breathed out, keeping his eyes fixated on the wall determinedly as he walked back over to Near.

Near's frown deepened, and he knit his eyebrows together as he tucked the emotions away in his mind's compartment. That compartment overflowed, and it became apparent to Near that he couldn't just forget about all these emotions. Near would have to cope on his own with these emotions. He balled his hands into fists and clenched them together, digging his fingernails into his palms, in an attempt to hold tears, caused by the embarrassment, from falling. To someone else, he probably looked extremely angry, and he really was starting to get angry, just not as angry as he looked. For the most part, he was angry at himself for not being able to keep all these emotions in check, but his mind was clouded from the kiss that had been forced upon him.

Near wordlessly yanked the pants and underwear from Matt. Then he headed to the bathroom. He decided it would be best to take a shower, so he did. The warm water soothed him more than he could describe, and he felt terrific as he completely cleansed himself. It was even enough of a mood booster to put a small smile on his lips.

After his shower, Near dried himself and put on his clothes with a more positive attitude. When it came to his pajama top, which he'd now worn for at least two days, he merely shrugged and put it back on. It really didn't matter to him. He placed the soiled clothing in a cloth hamper near the toilet. Then he exited the bathroom.

"I forgive you for kissing me, Matt," Near walked passed Matt and to his toys in the corner of the room. "After all, I know how much you wish to get your hands on me." A smirk appeared on Near's face.

Matt almost choked on the air he was breathing in, but held back just in time. He looked at Near, blinking in confusion. _'Why doesn't Near care about that ki- no. That wasn't a kiss. It was just… me falling on him.' _Matt told himself firmly, locking away the thoughts.

"No." He replied, shrugging simply. "You're too short to be my type." Matt smiled slightly, chuckling. "It's hard to kiss someone if you have to bend over just to do it."

"I apologize for my lack in size. Perhaps you'd like me to get on the tips of my toes next time? Would that be a bit more enjoyable for you?" Near's smirk broadened. The thought of kissing Matt again, however, wiped the smirk off his face, and his eyes widened as he pondered what had actually occurred. Even if it was accidental, a kiss was still a kiss, and this was Near's first kiss, at that. "Thank you for taking my lips' virginity, by the way." Near added, voice dripping with sarcasm.

It was Matt's turn to grin- somehow, seeing Near having actual emotions was very entertaining, especially when he was flustered like that.

"No problem." He replied. Of course, to Matt, it was a problem. His first kiss was taken because someone pushed him- wait, no. It wasn't a kiss. Though Matt still didn't particularly enjoy the fact that his lips had been pressed against someone else's- let alone a boy's- let alone Near's- lips.

Near's every thought was filled with the kiss that had taken place not long before. He made sure his cheeks didn't turn pink, as they wanted, to retain as much of an expressionless face as possible. Confusing thoughts overtook more logical ones about the kiss. His mind was now subject to thoughts that he'd hoped he'd never have. One of the most obnoxious thoughts he had was whether he'd liked the kiss or not. It was too ephemeral for Near to be sure. Then he considered that'd he'd had the kiss with _Matt_… Near couldn't fight the blush that tinged his cheeks, and he came to the conclusion that he had liked it a lot, even if it did happen quickly.

Near stopped himself from thinking that way, and backtracked. He grew angry with himself that he was having such thoughts about Matt, who was probably the closest thing to a friend he'd ever have. Near told himself that it was 100% sure that he didn't like Matt more than a mere acquaintance, much less as a _crush_. Although it was true, Near couldn't help but still like the kiss. Perhaps it was merely the act of kissing that he liked, not necessarily that it was with Matt. That was normal. After all, things of romantic nature were supposed to be enjoyable. When Near came to this conclusion, he smirked again, and began twirling a lock of his hair.

"Matt, can you believe that I actually enjoyed that kiss and would consider doing it again?"

Matt blinked, surprised. Was Near saying this honestly, or was he playing with Matt's head again?

"Uh… No." He replied. Blunt, but true. Near didn't really strike Matt as the type who would enjoy such forms of affection, though Matt had not had any affectionate emotions put into his unwilling actions during that incident. How could Near enjoy Matt falling on him?

"Matt, why is it that you have no reaction towards what transpired? If anything, you should be more affected by it than me," Near said thoughtfully.

Matt had to think to reply to that. To be honest, Matt couldn't really remember much about the- dare he call it- kiss. He remembered a faint, warm tingling, but most of the "special moment" was shrouded by the surprise and rush of being pushed with a plateful of food in his hands. Why couldn't he just leave the room? Damn Roger and his stupid letter.

"…" '_I know! I should be the one freaking out, shouldn't I?' _Matt thought_. 'So why am I suddenly so calm, and you're the weird one? I mean, sure you're always weird, but this is just… odd. I mean, even the thought of even coming close to another person's lips made me feel strange in my stomach- and it sure as _hell_ wasn't butterflies. I should be beating the crap out of him right now- no, wait. That's Mello's job. I should be beating the crap out of whoever pushed me into Near and caused this.' _Matt continued to think to himself, Near's question fading into the background as he thought about his situation. A few seconds later, Matt snapped back to reality.

"Uh… I dunno."

"Could it be that you like me so much that it felt natural?" Near asked, half curious, half poking fun.

Matt rose an eyebrow in disbelief, though his eyes were almost closed.

… What?

"Near, I am not gay. Or bisexual, or whatever the _hell_ you think I am." Matt snapped in irritation. What on earth was Near trying to imply? Matt only thought of him as his friend- sure, he was his only friend besides Mello, but _nobody_ would ever be able to surpass Mello in their friendship. Of that, Matt was sure.

"I don't know what sick, twisted ideas you're conjuring up in that brain of yours, but for once, I actually give a damn. And if you even _think_, for one moment, that I would like someone as big-headed as you, then I'm afraid you're wrong."

Near didn't reply, but his smirk drooped into a frown. "I was only joking, Matt. I apologize if I offended you." Matt's words hurt, not enough to where Near began to question why he was even alive, but enough to make Near wish Matt was gone.

"May I please have my meal?"

Matt nodded stiffly, eyes narrowed.

"Sure." He picked up Near's food, which he had set on the bed. He gave the food to Near, and sat back down on the bed to eat his own meal. "Enjoy."

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**A/N:** So, yeah. Much OOC on Near's part. I think if he had been in that situation, though, he would've peed his pants because he already had to go, and then Matt scared the crap out of him and then kissed him! Even if by accident, that's pretty fast and sudden and surprising!

And the reason as to why he almost started crying? Well, when you pee your pants, it feels absolutely terrible. Especially emotionally. It's embarrassing and for someone like Near, who does things flawlessly, it's like failure to control one of your most basic functions. Yah, silly, I know. And this A/N doesn't have much of my craziness in it, but I'm not in crazy mood… Anyways, review, fave, alert, anything. It's the feedback that makes us work hard :D


	11. Crush'd

**A/N:** Wow! It's not even dark out and I'm updating! How shocking! Well, it _is_ summer and I have nothing better to do… Anyways, I don't know what to say about this chapter. Please enjoy it~!

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Matt nodded stiffly, eyes narrowed.

"Sure." He picked up Near's food, which he had set on the bed. He gave the food to Near, and sat back down on the bed to eat his own meal. "Enjoy."

"Thank you, Matt," Near said in a quiet voice, though he didn't even touch the food. While Near had no problems eating in public while people were around, it was quite a different story when it was just him and Matt, and the only thing Matt had to look at was Near. "Matt, I want you to go get your game and pay attention to that instead of paying attention to me."

Matt looked up at Near. Why was Near so worried about being looked at by Matt?

"I was eating my food, Near," he replied quietly.

"I realize that, but what I meant was_ later_ go get your game. I already told you it's unnerving when you stare at me with goggles on." Near began eating his food slowly, dipping his toast into the eggs.

"Wait, but I-" Matt paused. "Oh, ok." He nodded. "I'll… go get that game now." The games seemed much more inviting than they ever did now, something Matt never even knew was possible. Though, Matt also didn't want to get on Near's bad side, since they were both pretty much in the same boat and Matt didn't want to know what Near was like when he wanted revenge or got mad.

He stood up, and walked outside, into Mello's and his room. The room was blatantly empty and quiet. Matt's game lay on his bed, and he picked it up, cradling it in his hands.

"Aaaaah, my video games. How I love you, o' precious Pokemon." Matt smiled as he spoke. He dragged out a long sigh, and moved to walk out of the room. The atmosphere seemed so much calmer in here than in Near's room, but he needed to get back soon enough.

"Alright, let's go." He muttered, walking outside. Matt noticed his goggles on the ground, and put them on. He paused outside the door, and took a deep breath before walking inside.

"I'm back. Miss me?"

"Not particularly," Near replied, half finished with his breakfast. He was eating with his right hand and holding a toy dinosaur with his left hand.

Matt nodded.

"Okay," he replied, sitting down on the bed once again. He turned on the DS, and began to play. The noises and button-pressing calmed him somewhat.

Near didn't know how long he'd been playing with his toys, as he didn't bother keeping track, but he did know he had finished his breakfast a while ago. The sounds from Matt's game were a little annoying, but they served as white noise as his imagination took over his dinosaur and his attention.

The nameless dinosaur was walking through the lego city Near had fixed up. All humans had hidden from it, though it had no malicious motives. The dinosaur was simply misunderstood, and didn't know how to convey that it wasn't evil other than not destroying the buildings. A Lego stood before him, unafraid of the beast. The dinosaur smiled, as it thought it had found someone who understood him. The next thing the dinosaur knew, there was a gun pointed at it. Even after the dinosaur had grown to like the Lego man, and even though the Lego man seemed to return its feelings, he was pointing his gun at the dinosaur with a sick smile upon his face.

This scenario brought Near back to reality when he thought how similar he felt to how the dinosaur must have felt. The Lego man shot the dinosaur, and the dinosaur fell over. The Lego man just killed the dinosaur, and Near thought of Matt's hurtful comments.

"Matt, you killed me," Near said to Matt, looking over his shoulder to stare at the redhead.

Matt looked over from his battle to look at Near with a curious expression on his face.

"…What?" He glanced at the city. "What, do you mean in your city or something?" he asked.

"Never mind… It isn't important…" With a frown, Near turned back to his city to continue the story, but after a moment he stopped. "It's not like you'd care, anyways," he added, then continued his story as the Lego man was celebrated as the savior. The Lego man had no interest in the celebration, and went back to the life where he was serving his abusive best friend, whom was a stegosaurus that everyone else feared.

Near's remark made Matt even more curious about what Near actually meant, but Matt had a feeling that Near wouldn't tell him. Matt watched as Near played with the toys for a while, trying to understand what was going on.

"…Near, what are you doing with those?" He asked, trying to see if the faint suspicion he had was true. As far as he knew, a guy killed a dinosaur and then got hitched with another dinosaur. At least, that's what looked like. _'You killed me.'_ The words echoed through Matt's head. _'So… is that supposed to mean that I'm the guy that killed the T-Rex, which is apparently Near? What the heck? And then I go off and get all buddy-buddy with some other dinosaur, which nobody else seems to li- Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding me.'_

"Near, are you suggesting something?" Matt asked, hoping Near would understand what he was asking. _'Though, why are those two dinosaurs? At first, you'd think that I'm the only normal one, but then again, so is everyone else. So what's so special about Near and Mello that would make them so much different than me and the rest of us?' _Matt continued to think, his game forgotten as he stared at Near.

"I'm not really suggesting anything," Near replied without looking at Matt. He took the dinosaur, the T-rex Matt had killed, and painted the word 'Soul' on it with a small container of white touch-up paint, then painted white tears dripping from its eyes. He placed the T-rex beside the Lego man and the stegosaurus. The stegosaurus then pushed the Lego man over, and stepped on him, stalking away shortly thereafter, leaving the Lego man and the crying T-rex behind. The T-rex tried to pick the Lego man up again, but its arms were too short to reach, and if it bent over, it would crush the Lego man.

Matt nodded, watching with a bored expression as he watched Near play. Not that what Near was doing was boring, but it wasn't incredibly interesting. Besides, he was trying to decipher what Near was probably expressing. Matt assumed that Near was the T-rex, he was the Lego man, and Mello was probably the stegosaurus. Matt watched with a deadpan silence as Near painted over the toy version of himself. Matt wondered why the T-rex was crying. What could be so bad that even Near would cry? Matt felt a bit of sympathy for the Near-dino, how it couldn't pick up the Lego-Matt. That's when another thought struck him.

"Near, why are you trying to pick me up?"

"If you are referring to the T-rex, which is not me, it is trying to pick the Lego man, who is not you, up so that he isn't lying on the floor. The T-rex is merely helping someone it once thought to be an ally. Regardless of how the T-rex feels betrayed, it still doesn't want the Lego man to be forgotten and left behind by the one he follows," Near explained, finally looking at Matt, a frown on his face.

Matt sighed.

"…For your information, whether you realize it or not, the T-rex is you, and I am the man. I don't know why you feel betrayed, but I can assure that I have done nothing to purposely hurt you." He pointed out lightly, his gaze narrowing.

"You called me big-headed," Near said after a moment of thought. "It made me sad."

Matt blinked, surprised.

"Oh." His eyes widened slightly. "That." Matt silently cursed himself for saying that. Mello wasn't any better when it came to his pride. Heck, even Matt was a bit stuck-up sometimes. The more Matt thought about, the more Matt regretted saying it. At the time, Matt had let his feelings get the better of him and he'd said something he shouldn't have.

"Tch. Damn it." Matt stood up, leaving the DS on the bed as he walked over to Near, a small frown creasing his face. Matt really didn't want to do what he was going to do, but he probably needed to, in order to compensate for his actions and words.

So, with a final gulp, Matt crouched down to Near, and wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug.

"S-sorry."

Near's eyes widened as his heart rate sped up. This was the first time Matt showed any kind of affection towards Near on purpose. The hug, while it was still a kind gesture, felt completely awkward. Near wasn't used to the softness or the warmth of another person.

"Why does Matt even care that he made me feel bad?" he wondered, leaning into Matt without exactly hugging back.

Matt frowned, one of his hands twitching slightly.

"I'm only human, Near. Aren't I allowed to feel regret?" he answered simply. He was glad that Near wasn't pushing him away, but the situation was rather odd, though Near was unexpectedly warm. Matt wondered if Near had ever hugged anyone else before. Matt had a feeling he hadn't.

"Yes, of course. I only meant that Matt hat-- strongly dislikes me." Near couldn't bring himself to say 'hate' because the thought made Near's stomach feel hollow. He tried inconspicuously snuggling more into Matt's embrace. At the moment, he didn't want to consider the reason for it, but he would go over that in his head later.

Matt looked over at the back of Near's head.

"Since when have I strongly disliked you?" he asked. Sure, they had their spats, but then again, doesn't everybody? "Everyone fights every now and then. We just fight more often than other people." Matt had almost called Near his friend- Matt knew that they weren't friends, but Matt hoped that someday, Near would gain enough trust in him to call him that. He responded to Near's cuddliness by patting his back softly and tightening his grip somewhat. To hell with awkwardness. It felt… nice.

Near couldn't help the smile that formed on his lips, though he wasn't quite sure why the awkwardness had suddenly vanished. "Matt, would you believe me if I told you I've never been hugged by anyone before? It really is a nice sensation, and now I feel as if I've been missing out all these years. However, even if I had known how nice it felt, I doubt anyone would've wanted to hug me anyways…" His voice trailed off and he wrapped his arms around Matt, increasing the niceness tenfold.

Matt couldn't help but smile a bit at Near's reaction, and his eyes drooped closed for the moment. They just felt heavy all of a sudden.

"Well, you're warm," Matt muttered, his recently tense muscles relaxing as the two shared the hug. "And I believe you," he added. "Today must be a handful of firsts for you."

"Yes, it is. I would even consider you the first friend I've ever had." Near couldn't keep his smile from growing larger. "If I may call you my friend, that is…," he added thoughtfully. Then, in response, he said, "If you wish to fall asleep right now, I won't stop you."

Matt blinked in surprise. Near already considered him a friend?

"Yeah, of course you can," he replied, trying not to reply too quickly. His smile twitched a bit as he chuckled, his breath ruffling a few stands of white hair. "And Near, I woke up not that long ago. I don't sleep that much." He laughed. "Although you would make a nice pillow." He pointed out.

A slight shiver ran down Near's spin when Matt's breath unsettled some of his hair. "Actually, Matt, it's been quite a few hours that you've been up. If you'd care to look at the clock, it's 2:33PM." Then as an afterthought he added, "if you do use me as a pillow, my only request is that you not drool on me."

Matt let out a soft hum.

"Hm? I guess I lost track of time," he muttered. Something in his gut shifted, and he tensed. What the hell was he doing? Reluctantly, Matt stood up.

"Well then… if it's that late, I'll go get myself some lunch," he continued, his gaze averting to the floor. He fought back the warmth that threatened to creep onto his face. Matt walked over to the door, and paused to look back at Near.

"Sorry." With that, he hurriedly open and closed the door, the blush spilling from his barriers as he did it.

Near's smile disappeared as Matt left. Already, he craved Matt's warmth. However, now that Matt was gone for a little while, he could think over the reasons of his strange behavior and feelings. Possibilities ran wild throughout Near's mind, but all of them were futile because Near already had an idea about what it was, and he wasn't about to beat around the bush with it. He knew it would simply be easier if he embraced it without trying to deny it.

Near had a crush on Matt, and he had probably had it for a long time. The only reason he hadn't known it before was probably because he had never been forced into a situation where he had to actually interact with Matt more than usual. Perhaps that was the reason Near had hoped Matt would protect him against Mello when Near was punched. The realization of all of this left a frown on Near's face.

What would he do now? He certainly couldn't tell anyone about it, especially not Matt or Mello. The best option he had would be to try to hide it, though he wasn't sure if he'd have success with it. He'd never tried to hide a crush from anyone before because he'd never had a crush before. More realizations came over Near as he started making connections from everything that had happened within the last 48 hours. He was sad when Matt insulted him, happy when Matt was nice to him, and worried about getting Matt in trouble with Mello. Near desperately hoped he would hide his feelings well enough.

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**A/N:** Well, not much to say… Um, hurray for Near for not being the idiot who denies he has a crush? Well, I guess if I say it like that, it makes Matt the idiot XD

Anyways, please review, alert, or fave! The feedback is what keeps me from waking up screaming in the middle of the night! And stay tuned until next week, or maybe seriously until Thursday this time, for the next exciting chapter of Gummy Bears!


	12. Good Bye

**A/N:** Well, I updated on Thursday like I promised. The chapter's kind of short, but I think it's good =) I like this chapter better than the last one, and I hope you people like it, too~

Please enjoy this amazing chapter~

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Matt sighed as he walked back from the cafeteria. Luckily, he hadn't bumped into Mello yet; Matt didn't think he'd be able to look him in the eyes, after what he did. Matt's scowl deepened.

Why on earth did he hug Near?

Matt knew the answer to that question, so he discarded it. Near being sad, no matter how annoying he could be, made Matt feel upset as well. Matt admitted that he enjoyed talking with Near, especially when Near was happy. He knew that Near had no other friends, and being hurt by his only friend probably hurt a lot.

"Damn it," he cursed. Was their friendship developing too quickly? Mello and Matt were fast friends, sure, but they never hugged or anything like that. Maybe that was just due to the fact that Mello probably wasn't as physically affectionate as Near, but there was something that still bugged Matt relentlessly.

Matt, lost in thought, opened the door, his blush gone and his gaze fixed on the floor as he set down his and Near's food. He was originally going to make Near get his own, but decided against it.

Near turned when he heard the door open. He was surprised to see that Matt had brought him lunch as well, and a smile was about to form on his face, but a blush would be coming with it, so he hid it behind his expressionless face. He wouldn't be broken down so easily. "You didn't have to get me anything," Near said, trying to keep his voice as calm and normal as usual, but finding it was extremely difficult.

Matt looked over at Near. Damn it, how was he able to keep himself so composed? Matt would've expected at least a smile. "Well, I did. Now eat up," he replied, his voice coming out equally calm, as though the past events had never transpired. It was rather nice, though this was the same Near that everyone else probably saw; the one that didn't really care about much of anything, and hid himself. Matt felt a smile threatening to appear on his face at the thought. Matt was different from the rest. Near had allowed Matt to see raw emotion, something Matt suspected very few others, if any at all, had seen from Near.

Near stood up and joined Matt, sitting on the bed next to him and the tray of food. Matt had brought him a bowl of soup, whose steam looked like little arms beckoning for Near to dig in. Near grabbed at the spoon, but accidentally touched the bowl, which was scalding hot. "Ow!" Near let out a pained whimper. He rubbed his victim hand and frowned.

Matt sighed, a small chuckle escaping his lips. "Jeez, Near. Can't you do anything on your own?" he asked, taking the spoon from Near. To hell with consequences, this was just too good of an opportunity to pass up. Matt wanted to know more about how Near worked, so he was now the subject of Matt's 'experiments'. He dipped the spoon in the liquid, and brought it up to Near's mouth.

"Open up," he said, his voice void of emotion, despite the small smile on his face.

Although Near felt a bit affronted, he opened his mouth to let Matt spoon feed him.

Matt was surprised that Near complied, and stored the information in his brain. Maybe it'd be of use later- Near didn't seem like the type to be helped like this, so why was he letting Matt feed him like this? He grinned.

"Good puppy," he cooed quietly, sticking the spoon in Near's mouth. Half of him was wondering what the hell he was doing, and the other was laughing like hell.

Near could take a lot of things and it wouldn't bug him too terribly much. He could take being called mean names, he could take being treated as though he were a child, and he could even take being hit by Mello. He could not, however, have Matt insulting him the same way Near had insulted Matt. Especially not in this position. Of course, Near wasn't one to act on his feelings, and he wasn't going to stop Matt from spoon feeding him because he knew he'd regret it later. So Near swallowed his soup, and settled on the deadliest glare he could muster.

"It seems you are mistaken, as you are the dog, not me," Near practically hissed.

Matt sighed. According to the death stare he was receiving, he went too far. "Riiiiiight." Matt rolled his eyes, getting more soup on the spoon and bringing it up to Near's mouth once again.

"So, if I'm the dog, then why am _I_ feeding you? Or am I just your mother?" Matt asked.

"You're… You're toying with me, aren't you? Trying to see how I tick," Near guessed, narrowing his eyes, though there was a slight smirk on his face. Then Near opened his mouth for the next spoonful, his hand drifted to his hair, curling it subconsciously.

Matt rose an eyebrow, frowning in reply to the smirk. "Why would I want to know how you tick?" he asked, pouring the soup into Near's mouth.

Near swallowed before replying. "Perhaps you are curious about me."

Matt's frown deepened, and he lightly hit Near's forehead with the spoon.

"Near, that just sounds gay."

Near frowned slightly. "It was only a theory… But I suppose Matt wouldn't really care, anyways. Of course, I would be more than willing to be subject to any of his experiments… as long as they are within reason."

It was Matt's turn to smirk. "Oh really? Why would that be, Near?" he asked. He leaned forward a bit, his smirk increasing.

"As I said before, perhaps Matt is simply curious about me." Near tried to be as expressionless as possible. He had shown three emotions with every one of Matt's replies, and he really needed to stop. Matt would only figure it out sooner if Near started showing emotions he'd never shown before. Though the actual reason for Near's changing emotions wasn't exactly to keep his secret, it was more because he was so nervous and didn't want to say anything stupid.

Matt pulled back.

"Oh really now? So then, if I am _oh so curious _about you, then why are you willing to satisfy my curiosity? It doesn't seem like something you would do." At this point, Matt wasn't really paying attention to what he was saying. Something seemed slightly off with Near, and Near was _never_ off about _anything_. So naturally, Matt wanted to figure out exactly what that something was.

"Because I think you deserve to know at least something about me," Near responded easily. He took the spoon in Matt's hand without actually taking it _from_ Matt and dipped it into the soup to feed himself another spoonful with Matt's hand still holding it.

Matt didn't really mind that Near was feeding himself now, so he let go of the spoon. "And why exactly do I deserve to know about you? If you're going to succeed L, then having someone who knows about you will put at a bit of a disadvantage," he pointed out.

Near frowned and dropped the spoon. He wanted Matt to continue feeding him. "I've never had a friend… It would be nice to know that at least one person knew me and… appreciated my company at least a little."

Matt didn't speak.

Oh.

Matt's mind backtracked, keeping a closer eye on what he said. "Well, I guess you have a point there," he replied, picking up the spoon again, "but that's not true in all aspects. Whoever said I don't appreciate your company?" he asked, looking up at Near.

"I never assumed whether you did or did not appreciate my company, I was merely answering your question." Near's expressionless façade was back in place and showed little sign of weakness. Now that he had his guard up, he didn't have to be so careful with his emotions.

Matt held back a frown, his face returning to normal. "Well, now you know that I don't hate your company," he revised.

"Yes, I suppose that is a rather comforting thought. I'd rather be ignored than hated." Near nodded in understanding.

Matt bobbed his eyebrows once in a silent agreement. He dipped the spoon in the soup, and brought it up to Near's lips. Apparently, Near wasn't going to eat on his own.

Near opened his mouth to allow Matt to continue feeding him. He was overjoyed that Matt was still doing it, although he made sure none of it showed on his face.

Matt stuck the spoon in Near's mouth again, a tiny feeling slithering its way down it's spine. Matt didn't know what the feeling was, but it was warm, though slightly uncomfortable. It was rather nice, really. He kept his face emotionless, though a smile wanted to show.

Matt fed Near until there was no more soup left, at which point, the two separated and retreated to themselves. Not many words were spoken, as the silence that remained in tact was comfortable. It got rid of any chances for them to argue. They were both tired of arguing, but disagreements always seemed to arise when they spoke, so silence was the best option.

The sun began to set, and the two ate dinner in silence alone. A janitor had come by a little while after they had finished their meal to take all of the dishes and glasses they had used for the whole day. Matt had decided to sleep in his own room that night, and while Near was slightly upset, he didn't say anything or even show any sign of disapproval.

The next day passed by at a nice pace, and there was a little conversation between Matt and Near. There were no arguments because they both kept the banter lighthearted and simple. Both of them appreciated the small talk, as they were finally off to a smooth start in their short relationship.

For Near, sunset had come to quickly. For Matt, he had been waiting for it. While Near was going to miss talking to Matt, Matt was anxious to get back to his own room and his own life. However different their perceptions of the end were, they were both glad that the bruise Mello had given Near was healing nicely.

Near frowned as he watched the clock. Matt could leave at any time now, and Near wasn't quite ready for it. Their relationship had just taken a nice turn and now Matt was going to leave soon. Near wanted Matt to know that he was going to miss Matt, and that he didn't want Matt to leave, but he had no idea how to convey it in a way that wouldn't make himself feel embarrassed. There was also the fact that Near was a coward, and anything he thought of would probably be too bold for him to actually do. He hoped the frown on his face was enough for Matt, because he wasn't going to do anything else.

"Come on, Near. I'll see you during some of the classes, alright?" He ruffled Near's curled hair lightly, and turned around. He walked over to the door and opened it before turning to look back at his new friend.

"See you tomorrow."

Near's heart pounded. This was the last moment. Now or never. Do or die. Was Near ready? No, of course he wasn't ready. Would he do it anyways? He had to do _something._ Near had decided. His heart pounded so loud that he swore the room was pulsating to the beat of his heart. Near stood slowly and then took an uneasy step towards Matt. From that point, throwing caution out the window, he quickly shuffled over to Matt, nearly sprinting, and threw his arms around Matt's neck. Standing on the tips of his toes, he placed a kiss square on Matt's lips that he didn't dare to break.

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**A/N: **Well, there ya have it folks. What will Matt do next? What will he think? Will he bitch-slap Near? Or will he pass out? Well, I'm not gonna tell, so you'll have to tune in Monday to find out~

Well, we love feedback, cause it makes us feel like we're not just updating for nothing. We like knowing people enjoy our stories, so please, please, please review or fave, or alert our story cuz we'll love you if you do~


	13. Decision

**A/N:** Um, so yeah. Here's the chapter. I don't even know what happens in it… I didn't get a chance to read it through, but please enjoy it all the same~

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'…_What?'_

Matt blinked, surprised, his eyes wide. In his surprise, his goggles, which were in his hand, dropped promptly to the ground, where it remained forgotten. His heart thudded in his ribs, and his breath got caught in his throat.

For a moment, Matt forgot how to breathe.

Near broke the kiss abruptly, and then shoved Matt out of the room. He kicked Matt's goggles out into the hallway, and then slammed the door. Breathing heavily, Near sunk to the ground, slumping against his door. Had he really just done that? His eyes widened, his heart pounded, he couldn't breathe, he was more embarrassed than he'd ever been in his life, and he was sure he'd just screwed his and Matt's new relationship over, but despite all that, Near couldn't fight the smile that wouldn't leave his face.

Matt fell to the ground, hitting his butt on the carpet, leaving a prominent ache. His goggles didn't go very far, only managing to hit his feet. His lungs were suddenly heaving for air, and his breath was hard and heavy. His mouth was still slightly ajar, and his eyes were still wide with aftershock.

"…The hell?" Matt got to his feet, though his legs felt weak. Matt assumed it was the fall. All instincts told him to run to Mello, but he walked up to Near's door instead.

Matt wanted explanations.

"Near, open the door and explain to me why you just did what you did." He commanded. He would have shouted, but Matt didn't want Mello to come and beat the crap out of Near.

Near's face reddened a shade that didn't look to be his own as it was too red for his pale skin. His heart only pounded harder and faster when Matt spoke to him through the door.

"That was a kiss, Matt," he replied, taking a deep breath to try to take over his respiratory system and heart rate, "and I did it simply as a... a friendly gesture of goodbye. While you are correct that we'll see each other in some classes, it won't be the same, especially with Mello's tight leash on you. We probably won't talk much, and I'm afraid I might actually miss your company as well as your conversation."

Matt sighed, frustrated.

"Near, people do not do those sorts of things as a 'friendly gesture of goodbye', as you call it. People only do those sorts of things as that sort of gesture if they are abnormally touchy-feely. You are the _opposite_ of touchy-feely, as far as I can tell." Matt frowned, his voice hinting at irritation.

"Well, I'm relatively new to the concept of friendship, so sue me." Near was making up his excuses as he went, and the smile simply would not leave his face.

Matt almost felt like laughing.

"Well then, let me in so you can be served." Matt suggested.

"Served at what?" Near wondered.

"Served. It's basically when someone gives you the paper work when you get sued. Now, let me in." Yes, it was definitely irritation in his voice.

Near thought over the possibilities, and decided he would ask what Matt actually planned to do. He doubted a fifteen-year-old boy would have subpoenas on hand. "What do you plan on doing to me if I do let you in? Will you hurt me?"

Matt tapped his foot. He wanted to be let in so he could guarantee a good explanation.

"When I get in, I am going to pin you to the wall and carve out your intestines," Matt snapped sarcastically. "Come on, what do you think I'm going to do?! And I won't hurt you. I swear." He added hastily.

Uneasily, Near opened the door a crack, and peeked through. "This is as far as I'm going to open this door. If you try to come in, I'll scream bloody murder."

Matt sighed heavily.

"Ugh. _Fine_." Matt finally complied. "Just give me an explanation. A _real_ one. And I swear to _L_, if you give me one more crappy lie, I'll tell Mello what you did." He threatened. Matt didn't know whether he really would tell Mello, but it was an effective threat nonetheless.

Near frowned. He didn't want to admit that he'd kissed Matt, but he didn't want Mello to break his face, either. His bruise was just starting to heal, after all. "I kissed you because I wanted to, and there's no other reason for it other than the fact that I wanted to."

Matt didn't reply right away. What was Near talking about now? Sure, it seemed like a slightly plausible explanation, but Matt really hoped that it wasn't true. Though, then again, what did he expect? Near just wanted to screw with his head?

Yes.

Matt liked that explanation _much_ better.

"Near, that's not true, and you know it. I've only been friends with you for, like, three days!" Matt objected, struggling to keep his voice under control.

"You can choose whether or not to believe it, but it is truth." Near wondered if the smile was still on his face. His cheeks were numb, so he couldn't be sure.

Matt eyed Near's cheeks. They were red, and his cheeks were raised slightly. Was Near… _smiling_?

"Near, if you won't give me a _real_ explanation to that, then would you at least explain the crazy smile on your face?"

"I'm happy because I kissed you like I wanted to," Near replied.

Matt rolled his eyes, sighing.

"Near, you and I _both_ know that isn't true. Why the _hell_ would you want to kiss me?" Matt probed.

"Matt, just go away." Near's smile turned into a frown.

Matt's frown turned upside-down.

"Hmph. _Someone_ doesn't want to say something." He huffed. Matt's heartbeat went erratic with surprise and fear as he heard a door click open.

"Matt?" It was Mello. "What's going on?" His face wasn't angry, just curious. Then, it morphed into suspicion. "Near didn't lock you out, did he?" Matt shook his head.

"No. I was just saying goodbye, that's all." Matt lied quickly. Mello cocked his head to the side.

"You're coming back?" His face brightened considerably. Matt nodded, still unsure why he was protecting Near like this.

"Y-yeah."

Near closed the door and went back to his toys. He was still happy that he had kissed Matt, but he wasn't ready for the repercussions. There was about a 75% chance that Matt would bug him about it tomorrow, there was a 5% chance he'd tell Mello, and a 100% chance that Near would have to face the music eventually. Hopefully he'd be ready when he finally did have to bite the bullet.

Matt walked into the room with Mello, his spirits relieved now that he was back in Mello's and his room. It felt almost like how he felt before on this.

Emphasis on the almost.

"So… yeah. Bet it was pretty boring, hanging out with Near, huh?" Mello asked almost immediately. Matt shrugged.

"Eh, more _interesting_ than boring…" Matt trailed off, not really wanting to go into details. "Glad to be back, though." He added, his face contorting to a relaxed smile.

"Good." Mello patted Matt's back, though it felt more similar to a series of slaps. Matt wasn't sure whether it was like that on purpose or not, but he didn't really mind as much. His mind was still focused on… the previous events that had just transpired, but he was doing his best to put it behind him.

Matt prayed he would be able to.

Near really didn't want to sleep, as he knew the night would pass far too quickly for his liking, but he had to. The morning would approach too quickly. He would have to face Matt too quickly. Near simply wasn't ready. Despite all of that, though, he clambered into bed and fell asleep almost immediately after closing his eyes.

-Scene Break-

Matt sighed, climbing into his warm, familiar covers and grabbed the nearest lollipop, stuffing it into his mouth without haste. He didn't bother changing into his pajamas. Mello didn't talk to Matt anymore, so Matt didn't talk to Mello. Closing his eyes, Matt fell into a deep and comfortable sleep.

Matt woke up the next morning, his eyes still heavy with sleep. He groaned, rolling over and closing his eyes and trying to will himself back to sleep. He didn't dream at all, but Matt preferred it that way. There was nothing to think about, and nothing to look at. No problems what-so-ever. Sure, there wasn't anything exciting, but then again, he didn't even know that he wasn't dreaming until he was awake again. Matt hated when he had strange dreams. It gave him something to focus on, but Matt's head would hurt when he tried to make sense of those crazy hours of unruly unconsciousness. His trail of thought returned to the same subject that'd been on his mind for the past forever.

Near.

Matt clamped his eyes shut further, shaking his head as though to clear away to thoughts. They didn't, though. They continued on to what had gone on the night before. What Near had done when Matt had tried to leave the room. Matt whacked himself in the head, and almost flinched when Mello spoke up.

"Matt, what're you _doing_?" Matt turned to look at Mello.

"Huhn? Oh, trying to forget a dream." Matt replied.

Near's alarm broke into his wonderful fuzzy land of black darkness. Today he had to go back to school for the first time in two days. A visible frown appeared on his face and his eyes were listless with grogginess and uneasiness. He slowly got ready for the long day ahead of him, taking as long as his clock would allow.

Near went over the best way to avoid Matt, and decided to get ready more quickly. Matt and Mello were usually in class either right at the bell or a little late. If Near got there earlier, then he wouldn't run the risk of meeting Matt in the hall. Near also decided it would be best to avoid Mello as well as Matt. Matt could have told Mello what had happened, after all.

Before leaving his room, Near decided to take his Lego man, the one who Near stubbornly denied as Matt, in replacement for Optimus Prime. If worst came to worst, and Matt decided to beat Near up, at least he'd have the Lego man to remind Matt of. Optimus Prime had no symbolism within him yet, but the Lego man had practically caused Matt to hug Near.

Near hurried out the door, and towards the classrooms, skipping breakfast. He didn't have time for breakfast this morning. He had already spent too much time slowly getting ready for school. He shuffled quickly to his desk once he reached the appropriate room, keeping his head down all the while. If Matt or Mello, or both of them, were in the room already, Near didn't even want to see them.

Matt and Mello were on their way to the classroom, each shuffling along, neither talking all that much. Mello had talked about what he did while Matt was gone, and they briefly touched upon what Matt did. Matt was grateful for that. The two entered the classroom before the bell had rung, though it rang shortly after Matt and Mello had found their seats and gotten comfortable. Matt's gaze trailed briefly over to where Near sat, though he tore his gaze away shortly after. He couldn't afford to be thinking about that right now. Especially if he wanted to forget about that damned kiss.

The teacher talked and talked, but Near didn't hear a word of it. He was holding the Lego man tightly in his hand, remembering the kiss he had shared with Matt. Well, the kiss he had forced upon Matt. Even though it was one-sided and forced, Near still liked it a lot. He was surprised that he had the courage to do such a thing. Matt hadn't even pulled away, and whether that was only due to shock or not, Near still saw it as a good thing.

When the bell rang for class to be over, Near left as soon as possible, joining the kids who were shoving and pushing to get out the door. He was glad that he didn't have Matt or Mello in his next class.

The next class went by without incident. Matt was grateful that he didn't have Near in his next class. Maybe then he'd actually be able to concentrate. He'd managed to get the basic gist of what the teacher was telling them, sure, but if he kept getting… distracted… then he'd fall behind. If he fell behind, then Matt was sure that he'd eventually fall behind in his ranking. And that was something Matt did not want to happen. So he didn't slack off in this class, though he was excruciatingly bored. He even went so far as to take lots of notes. However, he found it getting increasingly difficult to pay attention, and he was desperate to get some more sleep.

Matt couldn't wait for this day to be over.

When the bell rang for the next class, Near gingerly grabbed his things. He was somewhat at ease now that he had taken a test and focused his mind on something except for Matt and the consequences sure to come at some point. As he was walking to his next class, however, he ran into someone. Someone who was taller than him, had a striped shirt on, and had unnaturally red hair.

Matt looked down in surprise as his face was abruptly shoved into a head of white hair.

"Near?" He asked, looking at the boy's face. No, more like his eyes. Somehow, they were oddly captivating. That fact scared Matt a bit, but he couldn't help it.

"Oh, Matt, hello. I apologize for running into you," Near said, making sure he looked and sounded normal. He looked up at Matt, but found that his goggles creeped Near out a bit too much to handle, so he focused his gaze forward.

Matt nodded.

"Yeah. No problem." He replied, still slightly surprised. The fact that Near was staring right at his chest was rather unnerving.

"Uh… What're you doing?" Matt asked, his face heating up ever-so-slightly. Matt sincerely hoped that Near was just not wanting to look at Matt's face. Matt didn't even want to know what Near would've been doing instead, so he focused on getting over to his next class. He sighed, ruffling Near's head.

"Oh well, let's go. Class awaits." By this time, most of the people were past them. It felt weird, being practically alone in the hallway with Near. Especially after what had happened the previous night… Matt mentally slapped himself as his gaze shifted to the floor and his lips tingled ever-so-slightly from the memory.

"I believe I've already explained that your goggles make me feel uncomfortable." Near's voice was quiet, as he lightly pat at his hair, trying to return it to the way it had been before Matt had ruffled it. Why did Matt always ruffle Near's hair as if he were a little kid? Without another word, Near entered the classroom and took his seat.

Matt was a bit offended that Near left him like that, but he assumed that Near was flustered. Matt still wasn't sure why he cared for him so much, but Matt couldn't really help it. There was just something about Near that struck a chord with Matt. Matt shrugged it off, but he felt like a dog trying to dry itself off when it was in a lake. He knew that it was pointless, but he did it anyways. He sat down in his seat, and continued trying to concentrate- without much success- for the majority of the class. When he finally gave up, Matt just let his head thud on the desk as his eyes drifted close. However, Matt didn't have a chance to sleep; shortly after, the bell rang.

Near decided, rather boldly, that instead of trying to avoid Matt just to escape the inevitable, he would speak to Matt normally and civilly. Rather than rushing out the door when the bell rang, Near walked over to Matt's desk. With his normal expressionless face he said, "Matt, since we both have P.E. next, why don't we walk to the locker room together?"

Matt shrugged, not really thinking about why Near wanted to go to the locker room with him. So, he shrugged in reply.

"Whatever."

Near let a small smile creep onto his face. He headed towards the door, looking back at Matt, waiting for the redhead to join him.

Matt glanced side to side awkwardly, as though he was going to do something he didn't want anyone to see. He didn't really care about the others, but if Mello saw Near even a bit closer to Matt while Matt was changing, then he'd probably go into one of his crazy rages. Though, Matt assumed that Near wouldn't go any closer to Matt than usual, so he brushed that thought off. He joined Near without any further hesitations

Near was glad Matt was being friendlier than he expected. Near walked beside Matt in silence, not wanting to force any awkward feelings on the situation. The walk felt much too short as the locker room came into view.

For Matt, the time passed at a rather quick pace. He had zoned out, lost in thought, and almost ran into the door.

"See you later, Near." He waved slightly. The lockers were divided into a few different rows, and Near was in a different row from Matt. Matt unlocked his locker, and almost wanted to slam his head on the door in frustration. Matt just couldn't seem to get his mind off of Near's smiling face.

Damn it.

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**A/N: **Oh, here's some news. We officially finished writing the first story, so I'll start updating every Thursday as well as Monday. Hooraaaay~!

I'm typing this very quickly, but please review, fave, alert. Anything is good tyvm!


	14. Note

**A/N:** It's Thursday and I'm, like, sitting here thinking of something to put in the author's note, and I can't really think of much to say…

OH! A few questions were asked and I think I'll answer the questions in this nifty author's note so that everyone can see the answers. I meant to answer the questions in the last author's note, but I was typing too quickly to think of it… Anyways, so in this fic, Matt and Mello are 15 and Near is 14. The ages and years are a little off from the actual series, but the description _does_ say it's an AU XP

Also, why did Matt end up sleeping with Near when his room is right next door? I have no idea o.o I didn't write that X( Steve was writing Matt at the time, well, she writes Matt up until the end when she starts losing her touch and I have to take over… Anyways, yah, it works with the plot, but it makes no sense o.o Perhaps I will change this fic's category to romance… Acting on feeling and not logic… So yah.

But if you people have any other questions feel free to ask and I _will_ answer them~

Anyways, enjoy the chapter~

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Near considered taking a peek at Matt once he had finished changing into his P.E. uniform-- a white T-shirt a size too large, blue P.E. shorts that went past his knees, and, can you believe it, tennis shoes!-- but decided not to. He had too much pride to sink that low, in addition to that, he respected Matt a lot as well as his privacy. Not to mention, if Mello caught Near making googly eyes at Matt while Matt was changing, there'd be hell to pay. So Near decided it was best if he simply left the locker room to join his class in sitting on the bleachers which surrounded the track field, with a football field in the middle, outside. There were two areas for physical education to take place: outside where there was a football field, a track, and basketball courts; and inside the gymnasium, where there were other things to do.

Matt walked outside, adorned in a white t-shirt, and blue shorts that were above his knees, therefore making them annoyingly short. He walked outside, unwillingly spotting Near sitting down in the bleachers. His eyes had just made contact when he tore himself away, a frown tightly knitted on his face.

What was wrong with him?

Matt walked onto the field, where a few other members of his class were waiting. Mello was among them.

"Hey Matt!" He greeted the redhead. Matt forced a smile onto his face.

"Long time no see." Matt rolled his eyes sarcastically.

Today, Near's class was running laps around the track. The P.E. instructor explained that four people would race around the entire track for one lap. The whole thing would be timed, and each score would be recorded. Those who cam in first would face others who came in first as a mini tournament. The instructor said it might take a couple of days in order to finish with everyone.

While Near wasn't enthusiastic about P.E. at all, and while he was among the shortest and weakest people in the class, he was light-footed and could probably run the fastest out of the class if he tried his hardest. The P.E. coach chose Near and three other people to race first, and they all got on the line, ready to run.

Matt's class was playing football that day. For the past days that Matt actually had P.E., they had been practicing with partners. Today, they were having their first games. Matt wasn't particularly fond of football, but he was good enough to be considered a good player. Unfortunately for Matt, Hawtdawg was on the opposing team. Matt had a strange, foreboding feeling that something bad was going to happen. Knowing Hawtdawg, he was probably right. It seemed as though Hawtdawg would take any chance to screw with Matt's life. After sharing death glares with the problem child, Matt heard the distant sound of footsteps.

"Set, _hike_!"

Matt was thrown back into reality as a football was shoved into his waiting hands. He shot off, taking a few steps backwards faster than lightning, almost immediately after, and, upon seeing Hawtdawg charging at him like a raging bull, threw the ball to a shouting Mello.

That's when he saw Near.

He was on the other side of the field running in all his shorts-that-were-too-big-on-him glory. Matt found that this time his eyes trailed over to Near's legs.

Matt was afraid at how much detail he was picking up.

Near's legs were slightly thin, though he could see a good bit of muscle rippling every time he took a step. His legs looked like they didn't have much hair on them, though Near didn't look like someone who shaved. He was probably just in the wrong lighting… though Matt didn't really mind. The sun was at just the right angle as to where he could see all the right details. Matt wondered how they would feel- they looked smooth, like the skin of a baby.

A yell brought him out of his thoughts.

He turned around, face-to-face with a grinning Hawtdawg. Matt's eyes widened.

Shit.

The next thing he knew, he was thrown to the ground, his breath shoved out of his chest as he was tackled by Hawtdawg. Mello, tossing the football to the P.E. instructor, ran over to the two; the play had already ended. Matt groaned; his back hurt like hell.

"Matt! You okay?" Mello asked as he came to a halt. Mello narrowed his gaze at Hawtdawg and promptly kicked him in the side. Hawtdawg flinched, clutching his side and returning the glare.

"Dude!" he shouted. "What the hell was that for?!"

Mello huffed. "For tackling my best friend."

"This is football!" Hawtdawg protested.

"The play already ended and he didn't even have the god damn thing!" Mello shot back.

Hawtdawg opened his mouth, but closed it again, muttering various profanities as he went to re-join his team.

Matt's pain made it impossible to focus on Mello and Hawtdawg's argument, his back felt like it had snapped in two. Of course, Matt knew it hadn't. He would probably be in a lot more pain if it had. Maybe even paralyzed. Neither of these applied to him, so Matt concluded it as being an after-effect of being tackled. Matt sighed, rubbing his back with a pained frown.

Forget Near and his legs. They could wait for later. Matt was focused on how much he hated football- and Hawtdawg- right now. It was those legs' fault for distracting him and getting him tackled. Matt's nose twitched in irritation, a light blush dusting his face.

Maybe those legs wouldn't be leaving his mind any time soon.

Matt felt like burying his face in his palms.

What was wrong with him?

-Scene Break-

Near was in third as he began the second turn. He decided he might as well try, since there wasn't any reason for him not to. He broke into a full-blown sprint. Although he heard some spectators gasp as he obtained a significant lead over the other participants, he remained focused on the finish line. He reached the finish line without trouble of any kind. The other runners crossed the finish line shortly after, all panting. Near was tired like the other runners, but unlike the other runners, he wasn't hunched over with his hands on his knees panting. He panted lightly and twirled a lock of white hair.

The people in the bleachers were cheering and clapping, and Near felt slightly embarrassed as he joined his classmates on the bleachers. The people sitting closest to him gave him congratulatory pats on the back and shoulders. The next runners were called up, and prepared to run, but Near was more focused on the football game going on. He smiled as he watched Matt play.

Matt, a thin film of perspiration coating his forehead, grinned as he scored for his team. They were now in a pretty good lead, though if the other team got off their butts and tried hard enough, they could probably win. However, there was a different reason for its sincerity. There was an odd feeling coursing through his spine, and unlike the usual feelings like it, he had gotten used to the warmth that came with it. And that could only mean one thing.

Near was watching him.

Over the past few days, Matt had noticed that Near's stares had an odd sensation that came with them; that faint, yet unmistakable warmth. And every time Near would look at Matt, he would be able to recognize it a bit better each time. Matt was sure that he'd memorized it by now. He glanced over at the bleachers, and, sure enough, Near was there. His smile widened ever-so-slightly, though he was sure that Near would be able to tell. He would've waved, but that would've given it away to Mello. So, he lined himself up with the team again, and got ready to play.

Somehow, his spirits were brighter for the rest of the class.

Near was both glad and upset after P.E. was over. He was glad because he hated P.E., but he was upset because he hated lunch, too. Lunch was next on the school's schedule. Lunch hadn't bothered him in the past, but now he wanted to sit next to Matt in the cafeteria, and that was completely impossible since Mello was always around him. He'd have to eat alone at his small table in the corner, as he always did.

So it was with melancholy that Near dragged himself to the cafeteria. The food was usually excellent, but with consistent excellence, the luster had already vanished long ago. Besides, with Near's mood as he sat at his table, it might as well have tasted like dirt and it wouldn't have made a difference.

Matt sat down with Mello, tomato soup in hand. Matt had an affinity for soup now. He looked over at Near as he sat down, his heart suddenly receiving a painful ache. An idea came to mind, and Matt grabbed his notebook, scribbling a note down on a blank sheet of paper. Mello looked over, but didn't bother reading it. He didn't really care what Matt wrote about.

Thank goodness.

Matt finished his soup a while after, salty crackers and all. He wished that Near was closer to a sink, but it didn't matter much anyways. So he stood up, taking the paper with him. He put his tray next the sink, where he dumped in his spoon and bowl, and then folded up the paper and stuffed it up his sleeve. Trying to look as unsuspicious as possible, Matt made his way over to Near.

When he was behind him, Matt gingerly slid the paper over Near's head, his fingers trailing over his white curls momentarily before he walked- well, more like ran- back to Mello. He sat down, keeping his breathing under control as to avoid any unwanted questions. Matt's fingers twitched, rubbing against each other softly. He sighed.

No matter how much he didn't want to believe it, he ached to touch that downy hair one last time.

Near was surprised as a letter was brushed over his head and landed on his plate, which was half empty at this point. He looked over his shoulder to see Matt sprinting back towards Mello. A small smile graced Near's lips as he turned back to the letter. He opened the folded piece of paper and read it quietly.

It read: "_Hey, Near. How's it going? What's crack-a-latin'? Nah, jk, but seriously, how are you? I'm doing okay, I guess. Maybe I'll stop by later and say hey. Anyways, see ya."_

At the bottom of the letter, Near saw that it said "Love, Matt" but 'love' had been crossed out a few times, leaving simply 'Matt.' A light blush brushed Near's cheeks, though he knew Matt could have written 'love' by mistake simply without thinking, but it was still there, barely legible through all the lines crossing it out. Now he knew that at least he had something to look forward to today.

Matt frowned as he sat down again. He hoped that Near hadn't read that little note at the end. Knowing Near, he probably did. A blush dusted Matt's cheeks, though it went unnoticed by Mello. Matt was grateful for his recent luck. Matt reached over to his pocket to grab a lollipop, and winced mentally as he was met with an empty bag.

Apparently, his good-luck streak had run out.

Matt wondered how he was going to get some more lollipops when another though struck him; he remembered his compromise with Near, and his frown lightened, his lips twitching in a near-smile. Yes, he would definitely have to talk to Near later.

Of course he remembered that his other bag was in Mello's room.

But right now, he didn't really give a damn. He just wanted to spend some time with Near, and he was determined to get it.

Near was glad when lunch was over, and the rest of the school day ended shortly thereafter. With no more business on the school half of Wammy's, Near decided to go back to his room and finish some homework he had received that day. Before long, he was studiously finishing math problems with ease.

Matt was currently sitting in his bed, blatantly ignoring the lollipops that were sitting in front of him. He wanted desperately to eat one, but he had to remain vigilant. Self control was something Matt had a feeling he'd need to practice- especially if he wanted to stop staring at Near. He wasn't sure whether anyone else had noticed, but he was sure that Near would eventually, if he hadn't already. Glancing at his clock, Matt bit his lip. The clock read 5:39. Matt planned on going to Near's at around 6:00. But after Matt finished his homework, he was terribly bored. Mello was currently working on his homework, so Matt wasn't going to try and make any conversations with him.

Five minutes passed. Matt's patience was as thin as a hairline. Mello was close to being done, but Matt didn't really want to wait for him to be done.

"Hey, Mello. I'm going to see if I can find anything in the kitchen. Be back later." Matt lied, each word leaving a prominent ache in his throat; no matter the goal, lying to Mello wasn't easy. Said blond merely nodded, pencil scribbling away. Satisfied with the response, Matt stood up, and left.

Once outside, Matt walked off in the direction opposite Near's room; towards the kitchen. Once he was positive he was in the clear, Matt crept over to Near's room, making as little noise as possible.

When he was in front of Near's room, Matt looked around again. Somehow, he felt like what he was doing was taboo. But, pushing away the thoughts, Matt entered the room, closing the door quickly and silently.

Near's heart rate quickened when he heard the door open and close. His heart pounded, but not because he was afraid of who might've entered his room. It was because he knew it had to be Matt. Near turned away from his homework, which he did lying on his stomach facing away from the door, and looked over at Matt with his large slate eyes.

Matt smiled as Near turned his head. At least he had gotten a face to face confrontation; if it were anyone else, Matt suspected that Near wouldn't have responded physically. He sat down criss-cross applesauce next to Near, his smile widening.

"Hey there," he greeted.

**

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**A/N: **Yaaaaay for another chapter~ Woooo!!! Yeah… So yah, hope you enjoyed Matt checking out Near's legs. I know I enjoyed writing it XP

I know I stopped at a bad part cuz now you're like "Well, why's it so important to stop before we see what they do?" Trust me, if I didn't stop there, I'd stop at an even worse point because a lot happens until where I originally wanted to stop… Sadly, that was 5k words long. Longer than most oneshots! But with that said, you now have something to look forward to until Monday!

Fave, alert, fave, pleeeease~!


	15. Knife Fight

**A/N:** Jeez, I thought I'd die waiting for Monday . I was so bored and I really wanted to update, but I kept telling myself 'wait 'til Monday.' Now Monday is finally here~ I named the chapter after the song Knife Fight by Lemon Demon cuz of something that happens in this chapter…

I hope you enjoy this chapter!

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Near gave Matt a small smile, which turned into a smirk as he reached into his schoolbag. He fished around in it for a moment before retrieving the letter Matt had written. Once the letter was in hand, Near presented the letter to Matt.

"Matt loves me," Near said, his smirk widening.

Matt hid his annoyance and embarrassment by sighing, shaking his head. "You wish, sheep-boy." Matt retorted, though a small smile managed to creep onto his face. "Mind you, I'm not the one who kissed you." He pointed out, poking Near's nose. Matt hoped he didn't hit a soft spot. Matt came to have a good time, not to argue with Near.

Near's smirk was replaced by a confused frown. "Sheep-boy?" he quietly wondered. "Although you may have not kissed me, you did like it, am I right? In addition, I'm not the one who elaborately snuck away from Mello just to see you." He countered

Matt frowned. "I snuck away for you. You looked pitiful, sitting in that corner all alone." He retorted. "Besides, I'm straight as television." Matt added.

"You're only proving my point, dog boy. If you didn't love me, you wouldn't care how pitiful I looked all alone in the corner. Furthermore, I believe straight as a rainbow is more fitting." Near grinned.

Matt snorted. "Hmph. I should be the one saying that to you, lover boy. I'm pretty sure that only a gay person would kiss a person of the same gender because they don't want said person to leave. That was your intention, right? You don't look like the type for mind-screwing." Matt glared, his face gaining a very slightly amount of heat from the memory of the kiss.

"And I swear to god, call me a dog one more time, and I'll make you buy me fifty bags of lollipops. Which is, in fact, the real reason I came here. You promised me lollipops." Matt pointed out.

Near frowned. "I can see that you're being a little overly sensitive… I was hoping we could have some nice, friendly banter without you getting too upset, but it appears that won't happen. And anyways, I would consider myself pansexual, not caring whether the person I fall for be male, female, or even anything else." Near's frown only grew. "I don't have your lollipops yet, I apologize. If that's really all you came here for, then I suggest you leave."

Matt sighed. "Well then, let's go out and buy some. If you want to come along, feel free. Just don't do anything weird, okay?" Matt offered, standing up. He walked over to the door, ready to leave, and then turned around to look at Near again.

"Well?" He asked, " do you want to come or not?"

"Do you promise not to be a jerk to me if I do go with you?" Near asked. A vaguely worried expression appeared on his face, giving him the appearance of a very cute little boy.

Matt rolled his eyes, his anger diminishing. "Alright, fine. Promise not to accuse me of being gay, and it's a deal." Matt walked over to Near, crouching over to him. Just to mess with Near like Near did with Matt, Matt leaned forward until his lips were hovering next to Near's ear.

"Think fast." Matt rushed quickly before leaping on top of Near. His arms quickly reached over to Near's stomach, his fingers darting under the material of his pajama top to lightly, yet quickly, brush against Near's stomach. He really hoped Near was ticklish. Otherwise, Matt would suffer forever.

Near didn't have time to react, speak, or think at all. Strings of unintentional giggles and laughs escaped his mouth as Matt tickled him. Near's face reddened with embarrassment as he laughed, as he wasn't quite used to laughing, much less laughing in front of someone. He'd never been tickled before and his bare skin that was usually covered by clothing had never been touched by someone else before, either. This was all quite new to Near, but he still couldn't stop the laughs and giggles that sputtered from his near-breathless body.

Matt couldn't help but laugh as well. Luckily, the walls were thick enough as to the point where Mello wouldn't hear them. All other thought vanished as Matt grinned widely, his feelings glazed over with contentment. This was… fun. Who knew that Near's laugh would be so light and carefree, like a child who knew not even a fraction of what Near knew?

Near tried to fight back, but he wasn't sure his weak attempts at pushing Matt away by his shoulders were really working. "Matt…! Ha hahahah! Stop…!" He tried to speak clearly, but between laughing and trying to breathe, talking was extremely difficult.

Matt laughed again. It felt really relaxing, to just play like they had no worries. "Why? You're certainly enjoying it." He replied, chuckling a bit more as he only intensified his actions. His fingers were starting to hurt, but he didn't mind.

Near's stomach and face were starting to hurt. His face was numbing due to the unwanted smiling the laughing caused, and his stomach was starting to hurt really badly from laughing too much. On top of that, he couldn't breathe as much as necessary when Matt started tickling him with more intensity. He was growing light-headed, and he needed to stop Matt before he died of laughter, literally.

Frantically, Near grabbed at Matt, trying to get a tight hold on Matt somewhere. Near desperately settled for clinging to Matt's torso.

Matt stopped immediately, his hands aching with a dull throb. "Guess I overdid it." Matt mumbled, patting Near's head. He had almost forgotten how soft it was, like the down of a chick.

"Near?" He asked a moment later. "Are you determined to cling to me like a koala forever, or will you let me go so I can go get some food?" Matt asked.

Near was still panting, trying to fully regain his breath. At Matt's comment, he tightened his grip on the redhead. "I just might. Though I hardly believe lollipops can be considered food." Near wanted to smile, but his cheeks hurt so much that he just couldn't.

Matt chuckled; the action tingled in his throat. "Well, I do. They are a heavy part of my diet, you know." Matt pointed out. He didn't make any moves to remove Near; he'd wait until Near had actually caught his breath again.

Near released Matt after his breathing had returned to normal. A light blush came over Near as he began to speak. "Would you… would you hit me or be angry if I asked for permission to kiss your cheek?" he asked quietly, not looking up at Matt.

Matt sighed, though there was definitely a rosy tint to his face. "Sure, go right ahead, rainbow boy." Matt accepted, though his voice was laced with sarcasm. He was actually kinda scared at that idea; he stiffened once the words left Near's lips. Each word Matt spoke was chosen carefully, though not slow enough to be considered odd. He really didn't want to be kissed again, but if it made Near happy… wait, what? Since when had Matt started treating Near like Mello?

Like an owner?

Near shook his head. "Never mind. I won't do it if you don't want me to. Mello may treat you as if you were his pet, but I respect you more than that."

Matt's gaze averted to the side. "How come you can always figure out what I'm thinking?" Matt asked quietly. "I don't get it. It's like you're inside my head, and its creeping me out." He admitted, a frown settling in.

Near frowned as well, his hand subconsciously floating up to twirl his hair around his finger. "I apologize… I just use what I understand about you to make predictions… I didn't realize it bothered you, but I assure you I simply wanted to let you know that I wouldn't force something onto you when you didn't really want it."

Matt sighed, pushing himself off the floor. "Whatever," he sighed, walking towards the door. Something felt odd here; he had lost the comfort that he'd come here for. Half-way through the door-way, Matt stopped the door with his foot and looked back at Near.

"See ya later." He waved briefly before turning around and going back to Mello's and his room. He wasn't really hungry either, so he spent his time thinking of a good lie to explain the lack of food.

Near's frown deepened further and his stomach felt hollow. He had probably just screwed everything up by asking permission to kiss Matt. It was better than actually doing it and then having Matt get angry, but Near still felt bad about it. He'd ruined a rarely tranquil time with Matt.

A while later, Matt tossed in bed. It was only about 7:00, but he didn't really have any energy. However, his stomach groaned at the thought of eating. Matt didn't know why, but he knew that it was an uncomfortable feeling.

Unfortunately, it wasn't as bad as the emptiness that resided in Matt's chest.

Meanwhile, Near was glumly putting together his puzzles in the common room. He had gone there shortly after Matt had left, so he'd been there for 30 minutes to an hour or so. Near tried to focus on the puzzles, but he couldn't keep himself from thinking of Matt. His stomach still felt hollow, and Near still felt guilty.

Matt finally got up and walked out of the room, paying no mind to Mello. That hollow feeling in his chest had continued to grow the more he thought about it, and it felt like it was ready to explode. Matt scratched the skin above his eyes; his goggles were on his nightstand, though he wished he'd brought them. The hallway lights seemed so bright now. He knew that it was caused by Near, and he wanted that feeling gone. So he first checked Near's room, and upon finding it empty, made his way towards the common room.

Near decided to scrap the puzzles and just play with a robot or two, or something. However, his imagination failed him, so he just pretended to play merely to keep consistency and not draw attention. On the outside, he looked like regular, emotionless Near. On the inside, however, he felt guilty and upset, and he couldn't block these emotions out for some reason. He could only put a mask over them.

Matt watched silently as Near pretended to play. He looked rather lonely, really. The hollow of his chest was more present and demanding than it was before. That meant that he was doing the right thing, right?

"Near?" Matt asked, walking in and standing over him, "Why are you over here?" He asked.

Near didn't look up at Matt when he was spoken to. He felt that if he did look at Matt, he'd feel worse than he already did.

"Playing with my robots…," Near replied quietly.

Damn it.

Again.

Near's voice sounded upset. Maybe even pained.

Matt didn't know whether it was just him imagining things or not, but his reaction was worse than just emptiness.

This fucking _hurt_.

Matt bit his lip. Hell, if it got much worse, Matt felt like he'd cry.

Why did he have to forget his glasses _now_, of all times?

"Sorry for just walking out on you like that. Can I play with you?" Matt asked quietly, sitting across from Near, though not really looking at his face.

"I don't know how to play with another person." Near still didn't look at Matt, but he had heard the redhead sit down across from him.

Near remained silent for a moment before speaking again, clearing his throat inaudibly before beginning to talk. "I'm sorry for…asking if I could kiss your cheek. I suppose that was selfish of me." He bit his lip before continuing. "I don't think our friendship will ever work out, Matt… We argue a lot, and we get on each other's nerves more than we get along. On top of that, there's Mello who would definitely not approve if we had a friendship. Perhaps we shouldn't talk anymore…"

Matt's eyes widened, and he could've sworn a feeling of water just beginning to crawl up his eyelids.

_FUCK, THAT HURT!_

"_W-what_?!" He asked. That wasn't what he was expecting. "What's wrong with us being friends?! Besides, fighting is how a lot of people learn about each other, you know?" He insisted urgently.

Yes, there was definitely water in his eyes.

"I-I mean, come on! Near, please say that you're just joking." Matt's voice was starting to fail him. And _GOD_, that pain just wouldn't go away! In fact, it was eating away at his stomach at that very moment. So, Matt did the first thing that came to mind.

He fell forward, throwing his arms around Near and burying his face in his shoulder.

"Please."

Near's eyes widened. He honestly had no idea how to respond. After a quick moment of thought, he put and arm around Matt.

"Do you really wish to be friends that badly?" Near wondered, not knowing what else to say.

Matt nodded immediately. That huge hole was starting to fill up with a warmth that was odd yet incredibly comfortable. "Yes," he muttered, his face reddening slightly. A tear rolled down his cheek, and he sniffed.

Near's eyes widened even more when he heard Matt sniffle, and he wrapped both arms around the redhead. He pulled Matt tightly against him, and uneasily stroke his red locks. A smile crept onto Near's face, and his guilt vanished. Perhaps Matt _had_ wanted the kiss, though that was a little unrelated and Near was probably pushing his luck on that one. This hug was nice though. It was more than enough to make Near happy.

Matt tightened his grip in response. Somehow, what he was doing felt right. He had no idea why, but it just did. Matt didn't bother pondering the details; why risk ruining the perfect moment?

"Near," he began, his voice still a bit shaky, "don't ever say that to me again. Ever."

"Okay, Matt." Near wasn't actually listening, he was too preoccupied by the feel of Matt's hair. He began to twirl the red locks as he did his own, except he relished the feel and texture of Matt's hair much more. He twirled the locks much slower than he did his own as a result.

Matt hummed quietly as Near played with his hair. Did it really feel that good? Well, what Near was doing felt nice, so it must feel good for Near as well, right? Sighing, Matt leaned into Near's touch subconsciously.

Near took his time twirling Matt's hair, trying to memorize how it felt in his hands, and how it looked up close. He even tried to memorize how it smelled. Near closed his eyes and smiled, feeling absolutely euphoric at this point.

Matt smiled as Near continued to twirl the hair between his fingers. Personally, he didn't mind what Near was doing. It felt nice. However, his hand twitched, meaning that they were getting a bit restless. So, Matt decided to return the favor as best he could. He threaded his own fingers into Near's hair, his nails scratching ever so slightly against the skin underneath, and pulled his head back for a moment. Matt bit his lip. What was he doing? Why was he doing this? How would-

Oh, _fuck _reason.

Without a further hesitation, Matt pressed his lips to Near's.

**

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**A/N: **Yaaaah… Let me explain some stuff before you fly off the handle about how Matt freaks out. In most fics, and even in the manga and anime, Matt's usually pretty laid-back and easy-going. In this fic he's pretty much the same way, except for when he freaks out, which he does a few times… Anyways, in this fic, we thought maybe Matt, on the contrary to popular belief, be completely insane/over-the-top when he freaks out _because_ he's so laid-back. Balances his personality quite nicely, I think.

In the last author's note, I realize that I put fave, alert, fave when I actually meant fave, alert, review XD I was typing that very quickly, but I'm not typing this quickly. So I calmly ask you, please review, alert, and fave. Feedback keeps us interested in writing =)


	16. Puppy Likes Marshmallows

**A/N:** I have an alarm set to go off at 11:45 PM telling me to update this story every Monday and Thursday. The song that plays when the alarm goes off is London Beckoned for Songs About Money Written by Machines by Panic! At the Disco. It plays super loudly. I forgot today was Thursday and I have the same alarm set to go off at 1:30AM so I can go watch Home Movies on [adult swim]. My alarm scared the crap out of me and I thought it was 1:30 already DX Not fun…

Anyways, here's a little spoiler alert, though it's not much. Matt still denies liking Near even after kissing him. In fact, his denial goes on for about 3 or 4 more chapters XD

Please enjoy Matt's denial~

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Near couldn't believe what Matt was doing. He was too dumbfounded to do anything until a second later. Near closed his eyes, and kissed back. Although Matt had him confused, he was still happy. Hell, if Near was euphoric a moment ago, he was now just flat out wasted.

Matt was surprised that Near complied so willingly. Did he really want a kiss that bad?

'_Oh well.' _He thought, closing his eyes. _'This is nice…' _He thought quietly. The hands in Near's hair clenched a bit harder as another warm feeling spread through him. Right now, Matt felt like his heart was about to explode.

Near dropped his hands from Matt's hair to wrap his arms around Matt's neck, pulling the redhead more into the kiss. Near was quite surprised that Matt hadn't broke the kiss yet. He wondered whether Matt had a crush on him, too. The thought made Near press his lips harder against Matt's.

Matt's eyes snapped open. What exactly was Near doing? Matt had realized that he'd been kissing Near, but why was Near responding so positively? Personally, he would've continued with it, but there was something that was going on that Matt couldn't handle.

He had gotten over the fact that he was kissing Near.

What he hadn't quite forgotten was that Near was a boy.

Matt was kissing a boy.

Lungs asking for air, Matt drew back. His face felt flushed, though he wasn't quite sure why. He leaned back, gaze on the floor. However, he couldn't help but glance up nervously at Near. Would Near try to continue, or would he let it go?

Near sat there for a minute or two, his hands dropped from Matt. He was savoring the fact that Matt had just kissed him. There was a light blush on Near's face and a smile soon appeared. His lips were still tingling from the sensation. A thought crossed his mind as he looked at Matt.

"Matt... Will you regret that kiss?" Near asked quietly, a little bit afraid of what Matt's answer might be.

Matt didn't really know how to answer. His first reaction was 'no', but Matt wanted to know why. It felt good, yes, but maybe a bit too good. Matt wasn't gay… right?

This changed the answer to 'yes'. He just kissed a boy, for god's sake. He was, however, very happy that nobody had walked in on them. Especially Mello.

"No. Don't change my answer." Matt's vocal chords were just beginning to work again.

"What about you?"

"No, I wouldn't regret any form of affection Matt decided to give me," Near replied, twirling his own hair, which felt much less intriguing than Matt's.

Matt nodded. "I… I see." He muttered, watching as Near twirled his hair. The tears on his face made him feel rather awkward, so he wiped them off with a sleeve.

"If we are to be friends, then can Matt try not to become angry with me when I poke fun at him? I am purely joking and would never mean three-fourths of the things I say." Near cautiously worded how he spoke. He didn't want to make Matt upset, but it didn't help when the redhead could be unpredictably emotional.

Matt sighed, raking his hand through his hair. Why did Near take such a fascination in it? "Alright." He complied easily. He didn't want to argue with Near nearly as often as they did.

A small smile made its way onto Near's face again. He didn't know what else to do other than smile. An unpleasant thought made itself present and it wiped away his smile like an eraser.

"If we're friends, does that mean we're… _secret_ friends from Mello? Does it mean that I'll have to sit alone at lunch everyday?" the boy wondered.

Matt opened his mouth, and then closed it again, pondering over that for a moment. "Yeah." He decided, though a bit reluctant. "It actually sounds… fun. You know, it's like that strange rush you get when you're doing something wrong and you know it, but you're doing it anyways." Matt went on. "Except there's nothing wrong with this!" He grinned. "So, I guess it'd be more like we're secret undercover agents or something…" By this point, he was rambling. Realizing this, Matt stopped and waited for Near to reply.

Near frowned. "Yeah, sure… Fun…"

Matt nodded, knowing that Near was being sarcastic. "I know, right?" He laughed.

Near sighed in displeasure. Matt obviously did not know what it was like to sit all alone in the corner while his only friend was busy with another friend who was over controlling and rude. Of course, Near had only been through the bad feelings that one day. However, if Near had to go on like that every day for an extended period of time, he wouldn't be able to handle it. He'd be driven into depression, causing him to lose all respect and care for Matt. Needless to say, their relationship would fall apart.

Matt poked Near in the side. "Hey, Near." He spoke up, his voice a little unsure. "Look, if you don't want to just be able to meet like this, then I might be able to do something. I can visit you more and more, gradually. If Mello finds out, then he'll just have to accept it. Okay?" Matt suggested, a smile tugging at his lips.

Near was unsure of how Matt would be able to pull it off, but he trusted the redhead to figure that out. Although the thought of Mello finding out brought violent images to his mind. The blond had to find out sooner or later, and Near hoped it would be later for many reasons. If Matt and Near became really good friends and then Mello found out, Matt would probably be more against pushing Near away, whereas if he found out today, he would force Matt not to hang out with Near anymore, and Matt might consider it. The later Mello found out, the less he could do about it.

Near gave a nod, and his frown disappeared, but he still didn't smile. There was too much on his mind to smile.

Matt's eyes softened. Near was worried, wasn't he? "Don't worry." He did his best to comfort Near, patting his hair and giving it a small ruffle. That was going to become a habit, wasn't it? "It'll work out fine, ok?"

"I know this situation will eventually resolve. I only hope it resolves in an agreeable, nonviolent way in the near future," Near replied, starting to like it when Matt ruffled his hair.

Matt nodded, his smile widening. "That's the spirit!" Matt's arms, acting somewhat of their own accord, wrapped around Near in a quick hug. He drew back after a couple seconds.

Near wondered how Matt thought about him, and figured that the redhead must have felt something strong for him since had had gotten all worked up when Near suggested they not be friends. This thought brought a smile to Near's face. It was half genuine and half mischievous.

"You _love_ me, don't you?" Near asked, and arrogant look on his face, though to Near, he'd call it self-confidence.

Matt sighed. This again? "No, not quite. You're just… special." Matt replied cautiously; he didn't know the answer to that question.

"That was more of a rhetorical question, not meant to be answered. I already know the answer." Near grinned.

Matt couldn't help but grin in reply. "Oh really? And what was that answer?" He asked, tilting his chin up to look down at Near. He didn't think little of Near, but it did make him feel a bit better, for whatever reason.

"That's for me to know, and you to find out." Near's grin shrunk to a smirk.

Matt huffed. "No fair." He muttered.

Near's displayed an expressionless countenance as he poked Matt's cheek. "You're smart, so you'll figure it out soon enough." Near's large slate gray eyes, expressionless face, and actions all combined made him seem much younger and more childish than he actually was. Perhaps he meant to do look like a cute, innocent little boy, but it could have just been coincidental. Either way, he looked just like one of those kids whose cheeks you just _had_ to pinch.

Matt pouted. "Hmph. Keep making that face, and I just might fall for you." He murmured, half to himself.

"Perhaps I'll use this face more often, in that case." Near twirled his hair a little faster than he already was. He couldn't contain his happiness.

Matt noticed the small increase in speed, and he cocked his head to the side. "Oh really, then? So, I guess I can call you rainbow boy!" Matt joked lightly.

"Why would you call me that? I don't wear very colorful clothing, and if you're referring to the fact that you think I'm gay, I already told you I'm pansexual. On top of that, you're the one who clung to me and then kissed me unexpectedly. I could call you fag boy, you know," Near stated rather matter-of-factly.

Matt frowned. "Fag boy? That's not very nice." He replied. "And fine. If you're not rainbow boy, then what are you?" He asked, purposely avoiding the comments about the clinging and kissing.

"I wouldn't call you fag boy, I'd rather call you Puppy. You could call me Sweetie." A tiny smile formed on Near's face.

Matt's frown returned to its previous pouting state. "I'd rather not. And you may only call me Puppy if I can call you Marshmallows." The words sounded strange coming from him. He stuck out a hand. "Deal, or no deal?"

Near nodded and shook Matt's hand. "It's a deal, _Puppy_. Oh, and no take-backs." He added.

Matt nodded, holding back a gulp of nervousness. He brought this onto himself. "No problem." He agreed. "So, _Marshmallows_, I should be going back now. I am rather tired, and though Marshmallows would definitely make a nice pillow, there would be consequences for the both of us."

"That's too bad. I was hoping to become a place for you to rest your head as you sleep." Near smiled. "But perhaps you are right, and perhaps I should go to sleep too. You'll talk to me tomorrow, too, right?"'

Matt nodded. "Of course, Marshmallows. I promise." He held out his hand again, only with his pinky held out. "Come on. Pinky promise." He knew that he probably sounded like an idiot, but he didn't really care.

Near smiled. He extended his hand towards Matt's and wrapped his pinky around Matt's pinky. He then lightly shook. "I think Puppy is being demure and cute."

Matt blushed slightly at the comment, drawing back and standing up. "Thank you. I think that Marshmallows is flattering." He muttered in reply. "Good night." He added, smiling faintly. With that, he walked back to his room, looking forward to a good night's sleep.

"Good night," Near called to Matt as he was walking away.

During the course of the next two weeks, things went smoothly. Near and Matt talked gradually more everyday, and they were walking to all the classes together they could without being caught by Mello. Lunch was the only down side, but Matt had started making his notes to Near more frequent. Their friendship steadily grew stronger everyday, and Near had managed to keep his crush a secret from Matt. Though, to him, it seemed glaringly obvious.

-Scene Break-

Mello sighed, leaning his chin in his palm. Matt was gone…again. Mello wondered where he was. Matt said that he was getting some food from the kitchen, but Mello was a bit apprehensive of that. Getting food does not take an hour. It takes fifteen minutes- tops. That meant that Matt was lying about that… but where would he go instead?

Mello was determined to find out.

-Scene Break-

Near was in the common room waiting for Matt to show up. He was happily stacking dice into an incredibly elaborate tower. His crush for Matt had grown, and now he was even starting to miss Matt when he was only gone for a few minutes. Of course, Matt knew none of that, and Near planned to keep it that way unless Matt confessed that he had a crush on Near. He probably didn't have a crush on Near, but Near could still hope.

Matt slipped into the common room, checking once again to make sure that nobody was watching. There was something in the back of his mind that told him that if he didn't watch out, something bad was bound to happen. What it was, he did not know. He didn't really want to know either.

Matt put those thoughts aside, a smile creeping onto his face as he looked at Near.

"Hey there, Marshmallows. Miss me?" He asked, though he already knew the answer. He asked that question every time he walked into the room.

Near looked up from his dice tower and over at Matt, a small smile on his face. "I missed my Puppy a little bit," he replied. It wasn't true at all. Near had missed Matt immensely, but he'd never tell the redhead that, not while they were just friends, anyways.

Matt smiled.

"Nice to know." He laughed. Funny, only a few weeks ago, and he would've started yelling at Near for calling him such a thing. But now, he didn't mind. He might even go so far as to say that he liked it. "I've missed my Marshmallows too." He replied, ruffling Near's addicting, soft hair. By this time, touching Near's hair in some form was almost inevitable. True, Matt liked Near immensely, though he refused to refer to it as love. If he ever did, it would be in the form of a family relationship; like they were brothers.

"So, what'cha building now?" He asked curiously, tilting his head slightly.

"Just a dice tower, nothing special," Near replied casually. He took note of how Matt said "my Marshmallows" as if Near was Matt's possession. He liked the thought of it, but Matt probably didn't realize it.

Matt nodded, sitting down across from Near and his 'dice tower'.

"Cool. I'm more used to dominoes, but whatever floats your boat."

"Stacking dominoes isn't as rewarding. They fall over before you can even build anything. Quite a waste of time, I think," Near said, continuing to stack the dice.

Matt shrugged.

"I dunno. Doesn't that just make it more rewarding when you complete the tower?" He challenged.

Mello glanced around, trying to look inconspicuous as he walked down the halls. He had checked Near's room first, out of an odd feeling that Matt might be in there with… him.

Mello shuddered at the thought.

Near had already taken his number one title; would he go so far as to take his friend away?

Mello sure hoped not.

So, this is how he ended up in this situation. Walking around the hallways like some sort of spy.

Near shook his head. "There are other factors involved. Dominoes wouldn't make the desired shapes correctly. Beyond that, I could go into great detail to describe what's wrong with dominoes, but I don't think I will. I think you'd get bored and fall asleep if I did."

Matt sighed.

"If you say so, Marshmallows."

Mello frowned, crossing his arms. Matt was certainly not in the cafeteria. Where was he?

"Sneaky bastard." He muttered, turning around to go back to his room. Well, that eliminated a few possibilities as to where Matt spent his nights. Maybe he'd check out the classrooms or something tomorrow; Mello was getting tired, and he supposed that one night wouldn't hurt. Matt was still his friend, right?

But if so, then why was he so worried?

Hours passed and Near and Matt continued to converse until they decided it was time to go to sleep. They went their separate ways at that point and both were quite contented with the way everything had been working out and falling into place so far. Near wondered when Matt would actually start figuring out that he had a crush on him. Honestly, Near was starting to question why he was third in the house if he couldn't figure something so obvious out.

The next day started normally and proceeded rather boringly. Nothing taught at Wammy's was ever very exciting. The focus was usually learning through the teacher's words and text on a page. There weren't any interactive things or videos to look forward to. Near secretly wished he could just fail everything and get kicked out of Wammy's. Of course, these thoughts were never spoken and Near had never planned to see them through. It was merely a wish of breaking the tedium.

Finally, lunch rolled around, and Near was almost happy to go sit in his corner and eat his lunch.

Matt sat down during lunch after giving Near his note. Matt, afraid that Mello would get suspicious, had taken to giving Near his notes when lunch started, when Mello wouldn't see.

"Hey Matt." Mello greeted, turning to look at Matt as he walked up. Matt nodded, sitting down and faking a smile. When was the last time he could just laugh and smile without worrying about anything?

"Hey."

Near gave a slight smile as he read over Matt's letter quickly. He had his lunch enthusiastically, though the gusto wasn't due to his meal. The perfection of how well everything was falling into place made Near feel incredible. It was relaxing, and now Matt saw why he said it would be exciting to be secret friends. It was like they were secret spies or underground agents, as Matt had said.

Someone made their way over in Near's direction. Near was less than pleased when he recognized who it was. Some fear sent chills down his spine, and nervousness followed shortly behind. Hawtdawg was awkwardly heading through the cafeteria in Near's direction.

Matt turned to look over at Hawtdawg as he waltzed over to Near.

"Hey, Matt? What're you…" Mello turned, his expression equally surprised. "… What?"

Mello's words rolled right off Matt. His spine stiffened, his back straightening as a strange premonition washed through him.

Something was definitely wrong.

"Mello? Please don't say I'm the only one who knows that something very, very bad is about to happen." Matt spoke up, his eyes widening as he watched the scene unfold.

Hawtdawg was making his way over to Near, a silly grin on his face and his steps with a strange jig that would rival that of the Ministry of Silly Walks. His fingers twitched, almost snapping together, but not quite.

"Unfortunately, I agree." Mello replied, apparently just as surprised. "God… I mean, this is Hawtdawg. There's things nobody should go through, even for… him…" Mello agreed, very reluctantly. His face scrunched up, and Matt knew he didn't want to say that. Maybe it was a lie; though, why would Mello say something like that? Mello didn't know that Near and Matt were close friends, did he? And even if he did, why would he say something like that?

Suddenly, the answer his him like a punch to the ribs.

Mello was testing him, wasn't he?

"Yeah, I guess. I guess that even he doesn't deserve what he did to me." Matt responded, choosing his words carefully, as though picking his way through a mine field.

Mello didn't respond, so Matt brought his attention back to Hawtdawg.

By this time, Hawtdawg was standing in front of Near with a grin that was obviously supposed to be sexy. Unfortunately, it looked more like Near was about to become a victim of rape. Especially the way Hawtdawg was playing with Near's hair.

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**A/N: **Hope you liked the chapter! What will Hawtdawg do to Near? Will Matt ever wake up and smell the coffee? Will Mello become America's Next Top Model? Find out Monday on the next exciting chapter of… Gummy Bears!!!

Pleeeeeease, I beg of you! Review, fave, or alert!

P.S. In the middle of the chapter, I REALLY wanted Near to say 'no takesies-backsies' instead of 'no take-backs' Sadly, that's too OOC =(


	17. Scene Break

**A/N:** Snap, I hate this chapter… It's terrible. A lot of people have been waiting for it, and frankly, I think this is a very unsatisfactory fulfillment…

I hope you at least _try_ to enjoy this chapter…

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"Wow!" He gasped, rather loudly, " Are you really as beautiful as you seem or do you remind me of myself?" He practically called out, causing all other heads in the cafeteria to turn and watch the scene.

Near's eyes widened and a visibly uncomfortable frown appeared on his face. He cringed at Hawtdawg's touch… Hawtdawg's fingers felt fat and greasy in his hair, and Near didn't like it one bit, but was too scared, shocked, and terrified to even blink. Near wasn't aware that he was shivering with fear.

Matt and Mello exchanged looks of equal amazement.

"… Holy shit, dude." Mello muttered.

"Oh my god." Matt echoed, his eyes fixated on Near's shaking form- actually, it was his hair, which was, in a sense, being violated by Hawtdawg. Tint flames of anger sparked in Matt's eyes, but he hid them with increasing difficulty. "Is he…?"

"I think he is."

"So, he's…?" Matt found himself unable to say the words.

"You know…" Hawtdawg drawled, his eyes half-closing as he leaned his elbows on Near's shoulder. "You remind me of a magnet. You sure are attracting me over here!" He then let out a laugh that reminded Matt of a dying horse. This conversation was loud to him and Mello, so how was Near? Matt had a feeling that he'd be deaf by the end of this, at the very least traumatized.

"Yeah. I think he's hitting on Near."

Near's frown widened and he scooted toward the edge of his chair to get as far away from Hawtdawg as his petrified body would allow. He couldn't reply because there was nothing on his mind. There were only sirens and red flags screaming and popping up inside his head, telling him to run before anything could happen. Sadly, his brain wouldn't connect with his body, and he just sat there listening to Hawtdawg screaming his pick-up lines.

Hawtdawg only leaned in closer, causing Mello and Matt's eyes to widen simultaneously. For once, Mello didn't laugh.

"You must be one _hell_ of a thief, 'cause you stole my heart from across the room!" Hawtdawg laughed.

Matt scooted back against the table as far as he could. This was frightening beyond belief.

Near's eyes widened as far as they would go and his heart pounded beneath his ribcage. Half of him wished he could just pass out due to fear. The other half of him was afraid that if he passed out, Hawtdawg might rape him then and there. The very prospect of it made Near react. He scooter further away from Hawtdawg, which caused him to fall off the chair, making Hawtdawg's fingers rip through Near's hair.

The pain was the furthest thing from Near's mind. He knew he had to get away from Hawtdawg, but he wasn't sure if he could outrun his assailant. Who knew how fast Hawtdawg could run when he saw something he wanted? Near crawled backwards on the floor, still trying to get away from Hawtdawg. Unfortunately, Matt's letter slipped from the pocket of his pajama pants and out in the open without Near even noticing. After all, he was a bit too preoccupied with being afraid of Hawtdawg to be wondering about the contents of his pockets.

Matt was to pre-occupied trying to keep his lungs working to see the note fall out of his pocket.

"Is your name Mickey? Cause you're- oh? Well, what do we have _here_?" Hawtdawg shouted, leaning over and picking up the note. "OH MY _L_, IT'S A NOTE. WHO WANTS ME TO READ IT?!" Hawtdawg raised his voice to the point where it was definitely going to be raspy later.

"Oh, _shit_," Matt cursed under his breath, blinking in surprise, "_oh shit, oh shit, oh shit_." He stood up hastily, turning quickly to Mello.

"Uhm… I gotta pee. See ya later." Matt lied quickly, running off before Mello could reply, though he didn't miss the resounding cheer that came from the crowd.

Damn kids.

Near's heart pounded harder than it ever pounded before. He knew that today his and Matt's secret would be discovered. The thought of Mello's reaction to finding out made Near cringe. However things panned out, he knew one thing was for sure: someone was going to get hurt, whether it be Matt, Near, or some random kid. Someone was _definitely_ going to get hurt.

-Scene Break-

Matt sat in the corner of the stall furthest from the wall, pressing himself against the blue tiles. He curled himself up, tightly hugging his knees and burying his face in his arms.

"Shit." He muttered. "Shit fuck shit shit shit shit!" He slammed a fist into his forehead into his head every word.

Why didn't he just go and grab the note before Hawtdawg read it? By now, he'd probably read enough to lose Mello…

"Alright, let's see here…" Hawtdawg continued, opening the note. He coughed loudly before continuing.

"_OK_! _Dear Near_," Hawtdawg began, eyeing Near as though he were a juicy piece of meat, "_How's it going? Can you believe that Mello hasn't found out yet that I've been hanging out with you a lot? It's so weird! I mean, you'd think that being number two would make him more aware, but I guess not. I know if I were in his position, I would've figured it out by now, and I'm only third best! Mello can be such a ditz sometimes, it's ridiculous! Catch ya later!_" Hawtdawg took a deep breath before finishing. "_Take care… _Matt."

Near absolutely 100% could _not _move. He wished he'd just pass out, but he had no such luck. The whole cafeteria had gone quiet at this point. All the children were trying to locate Matt and looking at Mello and Near.

Meanwhile, Matt jolted up as he heard the footsteps of more than a dozen children rushing past the hall.

"Where is he?!" Matt almost winced as he heard that, and pressed himself closer to the wall. Where was Mello? Had he heard? Was he in the crowd?

"You guys go on, we'll check in here!" Matt didn't recognize the voices, but he knew that they were all male; was what Matt said really that bad?

Matt waited quietly as the students entering the room, breathing as slowly as possible, making no noise. He could hear his heard thudding in his chest, though it was beginning to slow down; however, adrenaline coursed through his system, making it very difficult not to run away as far as he could run. The steps echoed through the bathroom as the other students walked through, checking under the latrines and sinks carefully before moving onto the stalls.

Back in the cafeteria, the world grounded to a shrieking, rumbling halt.

'… _What?'_

Mello blinked, very well aware that people were staring at him, yet not realizing it at all. He knew they were watching him, but it felt as though they weren't there. Like they were on a television screen, or some mirage caused by the light.

"…" Said crowd was dead silent.

Suddenly, his blood boiled, his eyes setting aflame as he stood up.

"What're you looking at?!" He shouted, "Is there something wrong with me for trusting my best friend?!" He demanded.

This time, more than a few people glanced at each other, muttering to themselves.

'_What're they talking about? Are they talking about me? Why the hell would they be talking about me?! They should be talking about Near!' _He thought furiously. Mello grit his teeth.

'_Near.' _Mello stormed over to the white haired boy, glaring down at him as he clenched his fist tightly. His skin broke, but the pain mingled with the anger and hatred that dominated his system.

"YOU _BITCH_!!!" His fist thrust into Near's face, hitting him square on the cheekbone.

Near let out a pained grunt as Mello's fist made contact with his face for the second time that week. His head hit the floor hard, and he was dizzy for a moment. Where was Matt? Why wasn't Matt helping him? Near's stomach hollowed and he felt lower than dirt. Matt had probably gotten out when he could. He thrown Near under the bus. Deep inside Near, for the first time ever, he honestly and truthfully did not want to be Matt's friend.

-Scene Break-

Matt eyed the group through wide, fearful eyes as they opened the door.

"There he is! GUYS!" one of the boys called out, "THE FAG WHO DEFIED MELLO IS IN HERE!"

Matt's breath hitched.

"F-fag?" He asked quietly.

"You heard him right," another person spoke up as about a dozen people grouped in front of him, "You've been sneaking around behind Mello's back to do God knows _what_ with Near." His voice dripped with malice, and he eyed Matt as though he was infected with some sort of disease.

"It's not like I'm fucking him!" Matt protested, his legs itching to stand up so he wouldn't look so damn humiliating. "I've been helping him!"

In a way, it was the truth. Matt was Near's first friend. He'd probably been able to get Near to open up to him, something that probably wouldn't happen to any other person.

This time, there was no glimmer of happiness that came with the thought.

"Oh really? With what, may I ask?" the first boy spoke up.

"His anti-sociality that you've caused, you fucking retards!" Matt retorted, standing up sharply. "It's because of you he's so reclusive! If you actually _talked_ to him, then maybe you'd be able to understand him a bit better!"

"Is that so? And _how _exactly have you been helping him with this hyper-independence of his?" The second challenged.

Matt bit his lip, thinking of a reasonable response as fast as he could.

"How about paying attention to him, talking to him, maybe even just sitting and enjoying some comfortable silence?! God, how twisted can you're minds get?!"

"Much worse. Look, faggot. We _know_ that you've been up to _something_ with Near. _Everybody_ does. Mello even knows." Matt would've stepped back if there was no wall. Oh, how he wished he could just run away!

"God, how many times do I have to tell you?! _I DON'T FUCKING LOVE NEAR_!"

-Scene Break-

Mello's throat felt like it was itching; yelling scratched that itch quite well, so he decided to keep doing so.

"Who the hell do you think you are?! Matt's _my_ best friend, not yours!" His eyes stung, and he blinked furiously.

"God damn it Near, _answer me_!" He demanded with a quick, harsh kick to Near's side.

Near's side enflamed with pain and he silently gaped as he tried to deal with the pain as silently as possible. That, and Mello had knocked the wind out of him.

"Matt…," Near whispered as he tried to regain his breath, "Matt is not my friend. He wrote the letter and it is true that he has been accompanying me a lot lately, but he is _not _my friend." _'Not anymore…' _Near added silently.

Frankly, Mello wasn't going to have that. "Yeah, right!" he retorted, grabbing Near's shirt collar and lifting him up the ground. "You think I'm going to fall for that shit? It's been going on for at least two weeks! If you aren't friends, then why was he seeing you?!" he demanded. "What were you guys doing?!"

"Matt thought I was lonely, which is completely and utterly _false_," Near practically hissed the word, "so he began to speak with me regularly. Usually, he talked and I pretended to listen. Occasionally I would make snide remarks to annoy him." That much was true, there was a lot of banter within their relationship.

Mello raised an eyebrow. "Yeah right. Then why does he keep going every night to see you, huh?" He challenged. Near's explanations made sense, and that pissed Mello off.

-Scene Break-

Matt coughed loudly as a fist was shoved roughly into his gut.

"Tch! What the fu-" His voice was cut off as the breath was knocked out of him once more.

"F-fuck! What the hell do you guys want with me?!" He choked out.

"Eeeeh? He doesn't know?" The first boy laughed. Suddenly, he stopped, turning back to glare at the shivering redhead.

"Let me tell you something. This thing you have with that freak, Near; it's wrong. You two are doing something wrong and against Mello, and you can bet your sorry ass you won't get away with it."

-Scene Break-

"Perhaps he likes it when someone listens to him talk, but I don't know for sure. I don't go on trying to perfectly understand the inner workings of Matt's brain. You'd have to ask him yourself if you want to know the answer," Near replied easily.

Mello 'hmph'ed. This sucked; everything Near said made perfect sense. Why couldn't he come up with good explanations that easily?

-Scene Break-

Matt groaned as pain flamed through his gut. "Fuck, that hurt…" The people were leaving; Matt wanted to go after them, but his muscles felt weak and they protested at the slightest move.

Might as well just stay here until he felt better…

Then, slowly, Matt descended into unconsciousness.

-Scene Break-

"Mello, if you're quite finished interrogating me, would you please release me?" Near requested.

Mello frowned, but let go. "Whatever. Where did Matt run off to, anyway?"

"How should I know?" Near mumbled, rubbing the new bruise that was forming on his face.

He quietly grabbed his bag, the note, and then left, not caring if he ditched class. All Near wanted to do right now was ignore the world and wallow in self pity. He made straight for his room. Once there, he dropped his bag as he closed the door. Then he went over to his toy corner, poured out all the plush animals, and crawled beneath them. Now Near was protected by a fluffy wall of happiness.

-Scene Break-

Mello didn't bother wasting another moment worrying about Near. Right now, his thoughts were focused on Matt.

So, he left the cafeteria in the direction Matt left in without further hesitation.

"Maaatt? Maaaaatt!" Mello called out as quietly as he could. "Matt, where the hell are you!?"

Shortly after, Mello found himself standing in front of the bathroom.

"Hm. Well, I doubt it, but there _is _a chance he might hide in here…" With a deep breath, Mello stepped into the small room.

"Matt?" Mello asked quietly. "Are you in here?" Mello walked around for a short while before spotting an all-too-familiar pair of shoes.

"Matt!" He sighed. "God, there you are. You have a hell of a lot of explaining to… do… oh, _shit_." He muttered, his eyes widening. Matt's body looked unscathed, though the way his hands were clutching his stomach, he was probably bruised. After all, it's not like he didn't hear a group of people running down the hall; what had they done to Matt?

"Matt! Holy shit, are you ok?"

No response.

Mello groaned. "God, this is more trouble than I should deal with…" He muttered under his breath. He picked up Matt by his shoulders, grunting as he got the redhead to his feet. "There you go. Now, wake up!"

With a groan and a shift of the head, Matt blinked open his eyes after a rough shaking from Mello.

"Nngh… Mello?"

"Good, you're alive. I hope you can stand on your own, because I sure as hell am _not_ carrying you to our room." Mello frowned. Anger surged through him, but not from Matt; it was towards the bastards who beat him.

It took a bit, but Matt managed to stand up.

"Good. Now, to our room. You have a _hell_ of a lot of explaining to do." With that, the two boys went back to the room.

After a few hours of being yelled at by Mello, Matt was, in a word, exhausted. He flopped onto his bed, closing his eyes eagerly. Sure, it was only just after school got out. But _hell_, he was tired.

'_Where's Near? Hmph. What did they do to him? What did _Mello_ do to him? I wonder if he's okay though…? Damn it, why didn't he even try to find me?! Stupid fudgewad…' _That was the last thought Matt had before he slipped into unconsciousness once more.

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**A/N:** … Yeah… Hate this chapter. Definitely. The letter, which I wrote, didn't seem that gay to me, so I tried to make the kids who beat Matt up, which Steve wrote, angry over the fact that Matt was going behind Mello's back. I still think the kids overreacted to the note because it didn't _seem_ all that gay, but I did change most of that… Anyways, I fixed it up a bit, and now it's much better than it was before. Sadly, since I did go through and edit the reasons and everything, I updated Tuesday, and not Monday T-T

Btw, my scene break things are lame, I know XD I'll keep them to stay consistent, but I really noticed how bad it looked since there were a lot of scene breaks in this chapter. So that's where I got the chapter title from 8D

Please give me your thoughts on this chapter! It was the moment most of you had been waiting for, but the end is far from… Near… (Tee-hee~! Couldn't resist XD) There's actually still quite a bit of story left until it goes into the sequel.

Oh, I have news about the sequel btw, it's gonna be called 'So This is War' and that's where the plot of the story really takes off. There's gonna be a two week wait between the end of Gummy Bears and the beginning of So This is War. During that two period, Steve and I will begin publishing a new fic, a LxLight fic, which is unnamed at this point. So, yeah. Just a heads-up. The plot for the new fic is still sketchy, but I might post some info on it on my profile on Thursday. It'll be a long one, so if you like LxLight, you might be interested.

So yeah, that's the end of my speech. Please review, fave, and alert! Show some love, yah? Okies, now I gotta go back to reading AkuRoku comics and eating Pringles~


	18. Slipping

**A/N:** I think this chapter is better than the last one, but I'm still not too pleased with it. It gets better from here, I promise~!

Please enjoy the chapter!

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Near lie there under his toys for the rest of that day until sleep claimed him as its own. When Near's eyes opened in the morning due to the sound of his annoying alarm, he simply threw a stuffed animal at it to stop its annoying call and relaxed once more. While Near usually emphasized the importance in going to all of his classes, he simply did _not_ feel up to it. His stomach was so hollow and empty, from both sadness and hunger, that he felt like if he stood up, he'd vomit. The thought of food, while it would surely fill his stomach, made Near feel queasy at the moment.

Matt grunted as he awoke, rolling over. Mello was probably still asleep. He wanted to see Near again, but if he did, Mello would be sure to flip a lid. Matt blinked. He wasn going to have to have Mello hanging over his shoulder…

"Thinking about Near?" Mello asked quietly, jolting Matt out of his thoughts.

"Hm. Did they get him too?" Matt asked quietly.

What was the point in lying anymore? "No… I did," Mello admitted quietly.

Matt's stomach grumbled a bit in protest as he sat up. Crap, that hurt. "What? He's okay, right?" Matt responded immediately, fisting his sheets. "I mean, I know you were angry, but-"

"Are you kidding? If the little voice in the back of my head didn't exist, then he'd probably be in the emergency room right now. I was fucking _pissed_."

"What did you do to him?!" Matt demanded.

"Ugh… If you're _that_ desperate, then let's go see him." Mello muttered something else under his breath, but Matt couldn't hear what it was.

Matt wasn't sure if he wanted to. "…Let's?"

"Yes. What did you think I was going to do, let you go alone?" Mello asked, raising an eyebrow.

"… Okay…" Matt agreed reluctantly. "So… let's go."

"Now?"

"Yes. Now." The disbelieving tone in Mello's voice was starting to irk Matt.

"Ugh… fine, fine." Mello rubbed his forehead with a hand; it was something he did when he was annoyed.

'_Good,' _Matt thought, shoving a lollipop in his mouth, _'I'm glad we're on the same page.'_

"Oi, Matt. Are we going to go or what?" Matt looked up to see Mello standing by the doorway. Despite his headache, Matt stood up. His muscles had gotten a good rest that night, but they were rather numb; they felt like rubber. But, ignoring the stabbing pains in his head, he ran over to Mello.

The walk to Near's room was silent.

While all that had been happening, Near had actually moved and _done_ something. He had pulled out the gummy bears he'd received as a gift and separated all the red gummy bears from the others. Next, Near had ripped off all red bears' heads and thrown them randomly about the room. There were red decapitated bodies and disembodied heads lying all over the floor when he was finished. From there, he'd returned to his retreat under his stuffed animals, but before laying down, he ripped the head off of the elephant Near had glued to Matt's hand. He threw the elephant head onto the bed and the body at the door. He was now laying under his stuffed animals once more, wallowing further in his self pity.

Mello knocked on Near's door. "Near, open the door." He spoke quietly, but his voice was firm.

"Please?" Matt added softly, hoping his voice would make Near open the door. Near wanted to see Matt just as much as Matt wanted to see him, right?

Upon hearing Matt's voice, Near's heart fluttered for a moment, but then it died and he was left empty again. In response to Matt, he threw a stuffed animal at the door, his eyes narrowed and glaring at Matt through the painted wood. Whether Matt would take it as an okay to enter or not was beyond Near, but he didn't care whether the redhead came in or not. If he came in, Matt would feel guilty, but if he decided not to, he'd feel guilty as well. It was a win-win lose-lose kind of thing for Near because he'd be sad either way.

Matt blinked in surprise as the stuffed animal hit the door. "… Near, what's wrong?" he asked quietly, leaning against the door so much it could almost be called pressing. Why was he so angry? Was it something Matt did? What did he do wrong?

"Matt, just open the door. Near's just bitching because you left him."

Near remained quiet. He didn't want to speak, and anyways, it felt like his mouth was cemented shut.

"Mello, don't say that when he's right there!" Matt protested.

"Why not? It's not like he's going to do anything about it. I can say whatever the hell I want," Mello retorted.

Matt didn't respond, and no more words were shared. When Matt didn't move, Mello decided to just open the door instead.

When Near heard the door start to open, he quickly shuffled on the floor so that way he was facing away from the door instead of facing towards it. He wanted Matt to feel as dejected as Near felt.

Matt blinked, horrified, when he saw Near's room.

"… I did something terribly wrong, didn't I?" He managed to ask. His knees were now weak, as they were shortly after their first kiss… The sight of the headless gummy bears made his throat tighten up, and his heart swelled painfully. How had their relationship plummeted so much in such a short amount of time?

"…Dude. You have some really serious issues," Mello muttered under his breath.

Matt almost wanted to protest, but his vocal chords weren't cooperating with him. In fact, he was rather shocked that he could even _breathe_.

Near looked over his shoulder, glaring at Matt with the most intense glare he could muster. He wanted to yell at Matt and hit him hard, but with Mello in the room, it was impossible, which was quite unfortunate. So Near just kept his mouth shut and remained under his toys.

Matt almost cried then and there. "…What? Is there something on my face?" he asked quietly, almost just to keep the silence broken.

"Near… I know you're pissed, but if you lay a finger on Matt…" Mello cautioned, stepping up to stand beside the redhead, who was indeed shaking, "I will eliminate any possibilities of you having any children in your sad, miserable life."

And that was when Near's wall broke, and his mask fell off. That was when the weight of everything came crashing down on him and rose back up to crash down on him again. All of the feelings he'd felt, the ups and the downs, the kisses, the hugs, the nicknames, the pain, the feeling of betrayal, the two bruises on his face Matt could've stopped, and the Mello. It all finally dragged Near under.

Tears dripped hot out of Near's eyes and his glare disappeared. In its place, a pitiful frown and big sad eyes took over. He tried to stop the tears. He yelled at himself to stop. He couldn't breathe anymore as a lump had formed in his throat. Near wondered how weak and pitiful this made him look, but the thought only made the tears fall faster. He sucked in a shallow breath and quietly sobbed right then and there. Near didn't even attempt to cover his face. There was no reason to because Matt and Mello had already seen.

Matt's eyes widened as he watched the scene unfold. He didn't know that his body could go through such a flurry of emotion in such a short amount of time. In a split second, he went from worry to surprise before settling in on despair and desperate curiosity. Why was Near making a puppy-dog-eyed face? Was this some sick attempt at making amends, or something? He swelled with hope at the thought, but then it came crashing down once he noticed how red his eyes looked. Oh, crap. Near was crying? If Near was crying, then Matt must've done something really god-awful… Matt felt like crying, himself, but he couldn't do anything but drop down to his knees in front of Near. He suddenly felt weak, and would've liked nothing better than to just let his muscles relax. Upon closer inspection of Near's face, Matt's fears were confirmed.

Near was indeed crying.

"Holy- Near, come on! Tell me what I did so I can make it up to you!" Matt insisted wildly, hoping that Near would see the desperation through his eyes like the fairy tales always said people could. Of course, their lives were far from a fairy tale, weren't they? His heart throbbed painfully, and Matt could feel his eyes begin to sting. Aw, crap. Matt wasn't supposed to overreact; he was supposed to stay calm!

Mello's eyes simply widened at the scene that had unfurled before him. He really did _not_ want to deal with the drama, so he quietly said, "Yeah, so… I'll be back in our room, Matt…" With that, he awkwardly closed the door behind him as he left.

Near wanted to reply to Matt, but he couldn't speak. He was glad Mello had left. Since he had left, Near and Matt could be alone. Near simply shook his head sadly in reply because he couldn't do much else.

Matt leaned closer, grabbing Near's shoulders. "Near, answer me!" He demanded, a small tear trekking down his face. Matt wished he could wipe it off; it was almost tickling him, it was moving so slowly. By this time, all feeling had left his body.

"Come on Near, talk! You're not mute, so why won't you speak?!" Matt's voice rose an octave in his desperation, and his tear ducts were beginning to become a bit more active.

"_We aren't friends anymore_," Near hissed through his tears. "We're not friends, and we were never _meant_ to be friends. Clearly the world is against us," Near paused to suck in a shaky breath before continuing. "And since you're too selfish and scared to face the world with me, _I don't want to be friends with you._"

Matt broke down, tears freely flowing down his face.

"W-what?" he managed. His world tumbled down, and he felt like his bones were being set alight, but he couldn't get into the real world to stop it.

'_Don't say that. It hurts, Near! It hurts!' _Matt wished he could say the words aloud, but his mind couldn't process the request. _'When I ran away, I wasn't thinking! I would've come over and just taken the note if I'd thought… I'm sorry…' _He sobbed quietly.

Near's mind slowly processed everything. His emotions were making his thought process much slower because it was hard not to focus on all the bad things that had happened. Then he realized that he was acting no better than Mello, letting his emotions blindly lead him. He had said things he hadn't meant, which was something knew to Near. While it was good he caught himself now rather than days later, he was still upset that he had let his feelings get the better of him.

"Matt… I may be furious with you, and sad that you ran away without helping me one little bit, and I may have lost a lot of respect for you, but I don't want to see you cry… It makes me feel even worse regardless of all the bad feelings I have towards you." Near thought for a moment before continuing, "I still want to be friends, and I'm sorry I said I didn't want to be friends. I was merely speaking without thinking and letting my emotions guide me. I apologize for being so brash." Near let out a shuddering sob. "I still want you to be my Puppy."

Matt's eyes widened, and his heart pounded once in his chest. It swelled, heating up his body and extinguishing the flames. His body felt warm and soft, like freshly heated caramel. It was a feeling unlike what he'd felt before; though he had similar feelings like it. When he hugged Near, when he kissed Near… and then all the barriers he built up, all the denial he'd compounded, crumbled to dust and let reality disembowel him. Throwing his arms around Near, he shut his eyes tightly, and whispered a tiny sentence.

**

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**

**A/N: **Oh, teh noez! You won't know what Matt said til Monday! So, so sorry about that, but I needed to stop _somewhere_, and well, this is where I chose to stop. Hope you peeps liked the chapter =)

If anyone's wondering, I named the chapter after the song Slipping from Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog because it's about how everything's slipping, and Captain Hammer's slipping and blah blah… I thought it matched the chapter quite well =)

Okay, I kind of lied… I won't have any info on my profile about the LxLight fic until Monday/Tuesday. I brain farted and forgot that Steve was on a week camping trip until SUNDAY… Not yesterday… So there will be some info about it on my profile on Monday or Tuesday.

I have a request in addition to the regular review, fave, and alert thing. Could someone answer me what people mean when they say PLEASE R&R!! I thought it meant rate and review, but is there even a way to review here on ff? It might just be that they put it on another site and forgot to take the second R out, but it always confused me when people say rate and review… Anyways! Hope you enjoyed the chapter and feel free to review, fave, and alert! Feedback makes me feel like I'm not such a loser and inspires me to keep going!


	19. Project

**A/N:** I didn't really proofread this chapter, but I DID read it. I like this chapter, and I think it's quite a step up from the last two chapters. Please enjoy~!

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Matt's eyes widened, and his heart pounded once in his chest. It swelled, heating up his body and extinguishing the flames. His body felt warm and soft, like freshly heated caramel. It was a feeling unlike what he'd felt before; though he had similar feelings like it. When he hugged Near, when he kissed Near… and then all the barriers he built up, all the denial he'd compounded, crumbled to dust and let reality disembowel him. Throwing his arms around Near, he shut his eyes tightly, and whispered a tiny sentence.

"…I love you, Marshmallows."

When Near's mind processed Matt's words, he nearly choked on happiness. His heart pounded in his ears and his face was dusted pink. Tears stopped falling almost at once. Absent mindedly, he wrapped an arm around Matt and occupied his other hand with twirling Matt's hair.

"I love you, too…" Near whispered.

By this time, Matt's mind had taken flight; had it reached heaven yet? Based on Matt's euphoria, he assumed it had. So, he did what seemed best; he cupped Near's face in his hands, the touch feather-light, and leaned in closer.

"I know." With that, he closed the distance between them, kissing him.

Near kissed back more than willingly. He was more than glad that Matt returned his feelings. Reluctantly removing his hand from Matt's hair, he stroked away the redhead's tears.

Matt made a small noise, almost like a whimper, as Near kissed him back. His entire body seemed to swell with heat and happiness, his eyes closing as he enjoyed the kiss that they shared. He was delighted that Mello had left the room. Slowly, another desire pushed forth from the inner brinks of his mind, rising upwards like a tide and spilling out.

Hesitantly, Matt opened his mouth, and swept his tongue across Near's lips.

Near's eyes opened to their full extent as he felt Matt's tongue against his lips. He let out a startled breath and studied the redhead's relaxed face. Near closed his eyes and nervously opened his mouth a little bit. His face was probably as red as Matt's hair, but that didn't matter. His only hope was that things didn't go too far. He didn't want to lose his virginity now. It was much too soon…

Matt almost felt like squealing with delight as Near accepted his advances. Something deep in his gut stirred slightly, a sensation unlike what he'd ever felt before. But right now, he didn't pay attention to that. Without much hesitation, he slid his tongue into Near's mouth. Nervousness clawed at his chest; or was that Near? He hoped it was the former, though he despised the feeling. If Near was doing such things, that would surely mean that he didn't like it? So, intent on getting those thoughts out of his head, he did the first natural thing that came into his head.

He stroked the closest thing in Near's mouth with his tongue. Said thing happened to be the roof of Near's mouth. It felt odd; it wasn't rough, but it wasn't quite smooth. It didn't taste like anything, yet it was the best thing he'd ever tasted in his life. Was that even possible? Apparently so.

Matt hummed a little, repeating the action with a little more enthusiasm.

Near's heart pounded and his breath hitched as Matt's tongue brushed over the roof of his mouth. The albino practically melted into the redhead's arms. Sadly, as he realized he couldn't breathe, Near broke the kiss. He panted heavily, but his eyes were wide and sparkling. He snuggled into the redhead's hold and smiled, still breathless.

Matt was disappointed that Near had broken the kiss. Had he done something wrong? Matt blinked at the look in Near's eyes, almost losing himself in their shimmering depths. Near's body was unusually warm as the younger boy snuggled into the crook of his neck. Near fit perfectly, as though he was made to be in that very position. The feeling in his stomach was still there, and it felt rather odd. It was on the borderline between tingling and itchy, and he wished desperately to get rid of it. But what could he do? Near looked so adorably comfortable, just resting there as he caught his breath, panting, face flushed…

Matt blushed further as he realized where his thoughts were going, and he gulped sub-consciously. Matt didn't want to have that kind of relationship with Near, did he?

Of course not.

Near placed a small kiss on Matt's neck. "So, I suppose we should tell Mello about this… If we don't, he'll probably end up finding out later, and then we'll be in even deeper than we already are," Near said through pants.

Matt knew that Mello would probably be unbelievably upset, but nodded anyways. Might as well face the music now. "Mm," he murmured, his breath stirring Near's hair.

"Should we do it now? Or should we wait a little bit? I'm fine with either, however, I do wish it can be over and done with soon." Near's arm subconsciously floated up to twirl Matt's hair. The feel of it was still incredible, and he relished everything about it.

Matt shrugged, one hand moving to lightly rub the top of Near's back with his thumb while the other moved to rest in Near's hair. His hand was too devout of energy to move, so he just left it in there. Matt smiled at the touch; it was still soft as down, and it felt as though a platoon of chicks had attempted to dog-pile on his hand. It was rather comfortable.

Near could've fallen asleep right then and there, but he didn't want to for fear this might all be a dream. If he fell asleep in a dream, he'd wake up in real life to learn it had all been fake. Near certainly did not want that, and he clung to Matt tighter with his one arm.

Matt looked down at Near, curiosity sparking in his evergreen eyes. "Near?" he asked quietly, "what's wrong?"

"I don't have dreams often, and if I do, I don't remember them. The ones I do remember all tend to be nightmares. This is the first dream I've ever liked. Quite simply, I don't want to wake up," Near replied emotionlessly.

Matt certainly wasn't expecting that. "Near, this isn't a dream," he insisted. "Honest. Here, I'll snap my fingers," he suggested, removing the hand in Near's hair and doing so, "See? You're still here. I'd pinch you or something, but that'd hurt…" he muttered.

Near smiled and he could've sworn he was floating or something with the way his body was tingling.

Matt grinned as an idea came to mind. "Hey, Marshmallows," he began, the name leaving tingling sensations on his tongue, "want to go to Mello? If he acts out, we can tie him up, and, uh, spread peanut butter on his feet!"

Near let out a small chuckle. "Okay, that sounds brilliant."

Matt nodded, drawing back reluctantly. "Alrighty then. You get the peanut butter, I'll get the handcuffs!" He laughed.

Near stood, a smile on his face. He extended his hand towards Matt to offer him help up.

Matt took the hand gratefully. "Alright," he nodded, "let's go."

Near pulled Matt to his feet and intertwined his fingers with the redhead. He took a step towards the door and a small smile was on his face as he tugged at the redhead's hand.

Matt almost felt like laughing. "I never thought you'd be the one leading me, Marshmallows," he teased.

"I want this to be quick and painless," Near replied, exiting the room with Matt. As the two approached Mello and Matt's room door, Near began to grow nervous. His face was pretty much at its limit for pain, and his temper, as almost nonexistent as it was, wouldn't be able to stand Mello hurting Matt. He waited for Matt to open the door, too nervous to open it himself.

Matt looked over at Near as they approached the door. "It's okay, I'll do it." He murmured quietly, stepping front of the younger child. "Mello, it's us." Matt called out softly, opening the door.

Near clutched onto Matt as if the redhead was his human shield.

Mello turned to look at the two as they entered the room. "Hm? Oh. You guys are back." His voice was devoid of most emotion, but he managed to stick some curiosity in there. He didn't want Matt to get pissed at him. Sure, he was pissed as hell. But right now, he didn't want to cause any more trouble than he already had. After all, Near was _already_ covered in bruises that Mello had given him.

Near cleared his throat before speaking steadily, his voice empty and without feeling. "Mello, Matt and I are more than just friends." A small smirk wanted to force its way onto Near's face as this was the perfect opportunity to tease Mello, however he fought the smirk back. However, he did go through with the teasing. "Matt and I are… friends with benefits, if you will; 'butt buddies' if you want to phrase it in today's language."

"N-near! We're no-" He was suddenly cut off by a sudden noise; it was something unlike what he'd ever heard before.

"Pfft-" Mello quickly covered his mouth with his hand to cover it up. "Ha-" Mello spewed out a few nonsense noises before bursting out into a crazed, psychotic laughter Matt didn't even think humanely possible.

"M-Mello?" he asked quietly. The only answer was more of the laughter, which actually made him want to laugh himself. Though, his mood prevented it. Right now, he was scared, confused, and he really wanted to know what was so funny.

Near whispered to Matt, "You're quite cute when you're confused." Near's smirk finally won over his will. "I was kidding, by the way," he added after a moment.

The laughter ceased.

"You think I didn't know that?" Mello asked quietly. Suddenly, he abruptly grabbed Near's shirt and stepped close to him. "Well, take this-"

With a sudden breath, and a frightened squeak from Matt…

"ARGARGARGARGARGARG!" yelled the blond monster in Near's face.

Near shied away from Mello and couldn't decide whether Mello was angry or just messing with his head.

"Um…" he muttered when Mello finished yelling, "actually, Matt and I are just… 'together,' if I may say that." Near glanced at Matt as if asking permission to say they were an item. "We haven't actually fornicated, and I don't plan to anytime soon."

Mello rose an eyebrow. "Good," he huffed. "Touch him and there'll be hell to pay," he threatened. Matt wasn't sure whether to feel happy that Mello wasn't over-reacting, or afraid that Near might get in trouble if Matt's hands were to start wandering.

"What if he were to touch me, Mello?" Near wondered. "If we were to engage in such an activity, I doubt I would be the one in charge."

Matt huffed. "Near, I wouldn't do that!" he complained, a blush dusting his cheeks.

"See? He's put in his testimony." Mello stated simply, as if refusing to believe that Matt would ever do such a thing. He released Near. "What now, el numero uno?" He teased, crossing his arms.

"You were thinking it too, Matt." There was a bored expression on Near's face. "And, Mello, you don't need to put the 'el' in front of 'numero uno'. That would literally be calling me 'the number one'."

Mello rolled his eyes. "Yes, but there isn't another number one, now is there?" he questioned, jealousy weighing down his gut. He wanted to be number one. Not number two… Mello sighed. This conversation wasn't fun anymore.

"Whatever. Anyways, be glad I'm not planning on killing you this second," he muttered.

"I'd be glad if you didn't plan on killing me at all," Near said.

Matt nodded feverishly. "Yeah! Please don't hurt Near." he requested as calmly as he could. "You two will probably be seeing each other a lot more now and I want you two to get along. Please?"

Mello stared at Matt. "…What? Me? Get along with Near? Dear God, how did I get roped into this shit?" he muttered.

"Because I want to be friends with both of you." Matt snapped.

Near gave a small smile. He was glad that Matt wouldn't let Mello hurt him. "I'm willing to attempt getting along with Mello," he said.

Mello groaned. "I don't really have a choice, do I?" He asked, sparing a hopeful glance in Matt's direction.

"Nope."

-Scene Break-

Matt and Mello sat side by side during health class as they always did, appearing no different than they had before. Matt had originally wanted Near to sit with them, but Mello managed to convince him otherwise. So, Matt stealing glances every few seconds at Near and Mello wishing he could smash his head on the desk, life went on.

"Hey, Matt. I wonder if I know who you want to be paired up with for the project, don't you?" Mello asked sarcastically, rolling his eyes. Honestly, he was strongly considering slapping Matt in the face; he couldn't seem to stop looking at Near, or flirting with him. Mello was okay with it at first, but now, it was just plain annoying.

"Huh?" Matt asked, not really paying attention.

Mello sighed, face-palming. "God, you're helpless." He muttered darkly under his breath. Mello didn't know how much more of this he'd be able to handle.

Matt didn't reply.

"Ok," the teacher called, "I'm going to assign you in pairs."

The class reverberated with groans and sighs. Mello and Matt exchanged confused glances. The teacher usually didn't assign them. Every now and then it'd happen, but it wasn't a common occurrence.

"Ok, now here we go. Julia, you'll be working with Christopher, Ian, you'll be with…" The words faded into nothingness as Mello blocked out the words, only waiting until he heard his, Matt's, or Near's name.

"Mello," he perked up, looking at the teacher expectantly, "you'll be working with Near."

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**A/N:** XD… Okay~ I'll explain why Mello said ARGARGARGARGARG and why Matt suggested spreading peanut butter on Mello's feet. Firstly, me and Steve talk about the plot of the story often to discuss what happens next. When we are actually writing, we ask each other to refresh our memories. We gave each person a sound for when they're yelling and we don't know exactly what we want them to say. Matt's angry voice is RAWRAWRAWRAWR, Mello's is ARGARGAGARG, and Near's is BLAHBLAHBLAHBLAH. O.o Steve didn't know what else she could have Mello shout, so she kept it as ARGARGARGARG XD

As for Matt spreading peanut butter on Mello's feet, that was actually my suggestion, cuz I said that Matt had to give Mello an ultimatum, and it was supposed to be serious and an actual threat, but I didn't know what I wanted it to be, and he wasn't angry so I just said spreading peanut butter on Mello's feet…

In this chapter, you can see a lot of our inside jokes shining through… Mostly in the places where things don't make sense.

Mwahaha, you people thought I was gonna pair Matt with Near, but NO, I am too cruel =D

Okay, so in regards to the end of Gummy Bears, I think there's only two chapters left, but I was an idiot and forgot to mark the end of this story, so the next one could be the last before "So This is War" is released…

Anyways, thanks everyone for answering my question last time. Now I have another question. Does every LxLight fanfic writer have a fetish with saying "orbs" instead of "eyes" or is that just me? (speaking of LxLight fics, there'll be a description of me and Steve's fic on my profile. The story will be called "Nine in the Afternoon")

Hope you enjoyed the chapter~! Please love me! I mean… Please review, fave and alert o.o'


	20. April

**A/N:** Not much to saaaaay… I hope you enjoy this chapter!

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Near took the news in stride. He hadn't ever actually disliked Mello, but Mello sure had a strong disliking for Near. Near was only worried whether Mello would accept it calmly or put of a fight. He preferred the former.

Mello opened his mouth to argue, but the only sound leaving was a quick hiss as he received a swift kick from Matt.

"_Shit_!" He gasped out, lifting his knee and rubbing his ankle. Matt sent him a warning glare, and Mello rolled his eyes, letting out a frustrated sigh.

This was _not _going to be something he would be enjoying.

The teacher finished assigning groups and told everyone to meet with their partners to receive their baby for the next three weeks. Each baby probably cost about 356 euros or $500. Each one had a sensor and a wrist band for each parent to wear. The babies cried, needed to be fed, changed, burped, and put down for a nap every 30 minutes. If the baby cried for longer than an hour, the battery died, and so did the baby. It wouldn't be an easy project, especially with Mello as his partner, but Near would do his best, anyways.

Mello walked over to the teacher's desk, picking up the baby and bringing it to Near. "Alright. I declare you my bitch for these next three weeks." He grinned, patting Near on the shoulder. "Congrats."

Near didn't bother dignifying Mello's statement with a reply. Instead he asked, "What should we name it?"

"Chocolate." Mello answered immediately. "We are calling it Chocolate."

Near rolled his eyes. "Yes, because it goes without saying any _normal_ child is named Chocolate. Why not something practical like… wait, why did you get a girl?" Near stopped his question as he noticed the pink wrist band the baby had on.

Mello blinked. "… I just grabbed one. If we can't call it- _her_, Chocolate, then how about Godiva?" He suggested.

"Why don't we call her Optimus Prime if you're willing to name her Godiva?" Near sarcastically mused. "Honestly, you think of the strangest names. Let's name her Esther. Esther is nice."

Mello sighed. "Esther sounds like an old grandma's name." He muttered, "but if it'll shut you up…"

"No, I won't name our daughter Esther if you don't agree with it."

Mello stared at Near with dumb-founded eyes. "…Excuse me?" he echoed, "_our_ daughter? It sounds like we're some married couple or something." He frowned. "And besides, I don't really care what it's called. Why not April or something? That sounds normal enough, right?"

"You aren't lucky enough to be my partner, Mello," Near teased. "So sorry. Anyways, April is fine. Her name is April."

Mello nodded. "Alright. April it is," he muttered. "Now that we've got the name down, why don't we feed it or something before it starts crying?"

"No, I believe we're only supposed to feed it _when _SHEstarts to cry. It's the alarm of the mechanism," Near responded.

Mello rolled his eyes. "_She_. Whatever. And why don't they give you some sort of warning? I mean, honestly…," he muttered, scratching his head.

"Because, _Mello_, that's how babies truly are." Near rolled his eyes. "You're much dumber than I thought." He thought aloud.

Mello wrinkled his nose in disgust, pushing Near's shoulders. "Hey. I don't see why I should know Babies 101, okay? I mean, I don't plan on having kids, you know," he pointed out, "and I don't think you are, either. How the hell do you know so much about kids, anyways?"

"Actually, I was hoping I would give birth to a bouncing baby boy whom I would name Mello the Wise," Near said in a rather snarky way. "Also, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that babies are too young to know how to talk."

Mello sighed. "That's not what I meant by a warning. I always thought that they would start getting especially clingy, you know?" he tried to explain, "and if I was your son, then I would so throw up on you."

"Babies don't think that way, I'm sure of it. They have that reputation of crying all the time, and if you were my son, I'd make sure you were either stillborn, or I'd give you to the Wammy House as soon as you were out of my body. I'd tell them to make sure you got beaten at least three times a day, twice with a whip and once with a bull."

This time, the noise that Mello made was almost classifiable as a snort. "Yeah. Right. And if you're the _mother_, then how the hell would you have gotten me out? I mean, did you just shit me or something? I mean, Jesus Christ, that must hurt if you didn't," he mumbled.

"Obviously, Matt got me pregnant and I gave birth to you through my orifice." Near let out a trill of giggles at the thought. This was a ridiculous conversation, but it was pretty amusing.

Mello stared at Near as though he was the reincarnation of the Bubonic Plague. "… That isn't funny," he muttered, his face flushing and his gaze averting to the side.

"Yes, it is. Now if someone asks you 'who's yo daddy' you can say 'Matt'." Near chuckled.

"…Dude, how is that even possible? I mean, I'm older than him. You two would've had to have sex and given birth to me while in your mothers' wombs, and then I'd have to have grown quicker than you two; and you don't have a uterus anyways, so I'm not sure how you having kids is physically possible in the first place, considering the fact that you are male and therefore do not carry eggs. Unless of course, you are a transgender, and therefore would've had to have had surgery in order to change your gender." Mello smiled a bit, hoping to destroy Near's confidence.

Near rolled his eyes and let out an irritant sigh. "Only you, of all people, would point out flaws in statements I know are incorrect and illogical. Of course I know that all of that is physically impossible. I was merely joking and pretending. I suppose hotheads like you don't have very good imaginations. How silly of me to think you were smart enough to tell the difference between tomfoolery and truth. Surely Matt would be able to tell the difference, and he is merely third. Perhaps you bribe Matt into getting lower scores than you so you can foolishly cling to your 2nd place standing."

Mello clenched his hands into fists, glaring at Near. "There's nothing wrong with pointing out mistakes, Near," he fought to keep his voice under control, "and I would only talk like that with Matt. And, while we are on the subject of that damned redhead, I'll also have to remind you that we are supposed to be getting along." His smile widened a bit. "So I'm not sure why you're insulting me."

"Your attempts at surpassing me in every slightest way are quite irritating. I was trying to get along, but it's hard when you're throwing your obsession with beating me into my face. In fact, I think it would be hard for anyone to stand listening to you for five minutes when all you talk about is beating me. Do you think about and listen to the words you say?" Near rubbed his temples slightly. He was getting a headache from the annoyances Mello created.

Mello face palmed. "Great _God_, woman," he sighed, "can't you stop whining for a minute and just shut up? I swear to God, I could kill for five minutes without talking with you." Mello groaned, rubbing his face and closing his eyes.

"I'm not a woman, Mello, and I definitely was not whining." Near sighed irately. "And if this is how you're going to be treating me for the next three weeks, I may go insane. _You_ are quite a, and pardon my French when I say this, you are quite a whiny bitch."

Mello laughed quietly. "Oi! That's my line, Near!" He pouted, crossing his arms and sitting down next to the younger boy.

Near looked over at the blond, his face expressionless. "I have a request." It was a statement. "I request that you try not to become angry with me if I say something you dislike. I will only verbally attack you if you verbally attack me first. I can understand friendly banter, and whatnot, but if you insult me in all seriousness, I will rebuke. If I say something you dislike, then you merely have to say so. I'm not going out of my way to offend you, however, I may unintentionally provoke you. I simply want to get through these next three weeks as painlessly as possible."

Mello looked at Near through his fingers, his face equally expressionless. "Uh… Ok then." He shrugged. Most of the words had passed into one ear and out the other, but he got the general gist of what he had to do. It didn't sounds like something he'd be particularly enthusiastic about, but hey. What could _possibly_ go wrong?

"Okay, so _you_ can take April to your next class." Near hoped Mello was too busy spacing out to notice that he was shoving the fake baby onto the blond.

"What?" Mello frowned. "Are you serious? I have to take care of her?" He groaned. "Really?" Mello looked down with a mixture of fear and repulsion at the face being that lay in his arms. He pushed it over to Near as though it was a disease.

"No, no, no, no, no. _You_ are taking it."

"I believe you should spend some more time with her because you named her, after all. Moreover, I think she needs some good father-daughter time. Mother-daughter time will come later." With his hands, Near gently exhorted the baby back towards Mello. "Please?" Near made a puppy-dog-pout face at Mello. His eyes wide and pleading, his lower lip quivering. Normally, Near wouldn't sink as low as begging, but he really didn't want to take care of the baby. Who needed a reputation when you had peace and silence?

Mello 'hmph'ed. "Father-daughter time, my _ass_," he muttered under his breath. "Alright, give her to me." Mello kept his gaze firmly fixated upon April, for he didn't really want to see Near and his begging face. The mental image that came with the thought rather frightened him. Though, it _would_ provide him with something to tease him about- no, they were supposed to get along. But if it had made Matt fall for Near, then it couldn't be _that_ repulsive, could it?

So, hoping he wouldn't regret it, Mello looked up at Near's face.

Almost immediately after, his face went from that of anxiety and nervousness to surprise.

It was almost… cute.

Near silently cheered inside his head and eagerly handed the baby to Mello. "Thank you, Mello," Near said, a small smile on his face. "I had actually expected you to start tactlessly screaming vulgarities at me or that you would send me to the hospital."

Any feelings Mello had that weren't negative vanished quite fast. "Why the hell would I do that?! If I did that, Matt would get really freaking pissed off at me. Are you kidding me?" he retorted.

"You never let Matt get in your way if you wanted to be mean to me before. And while I probably shouldn't tell you this, even if you disobeyed his wishes and beat me up, Matt would still like you. He'd still want to be your friend," Near explained. "I am grateful that you didn't attack me verbally or physically, but there was simply nothing you did in the past that seemed like you'd be nice to me no matter the circumstance."

Mello frowned. He'd hoped his excuse would work. "Well then, what would you rather me have said? 'Yes Near, of course I'll beat the shit out of you and not do anything about it?'" He challenged.

"Well, I already said I was grateful that you weren't mean to me, so can't we simply leave it at that?" Near wondered.

Mello sighed. "Yes, but that's beside the point. I was just wondering what you expected me to say, that's all." He tried to explain.

"Sorry, Mello, but even _I _don't know what kinds of things you could think to yell at me. You're quite unpredictable, you know." Near wondered when the bell to end class would ring.

Mello's gaze shifted towards the clock on the wall; it looked like the bell should ring soon… "Well then… I'm giving this thin- _April_- to you after the next class ends, alright? The classes will be over after that, so we can just switch hourly or something after that." He suggested.

"I suppose that's fair, but it says on the sheet that we got that we both have to spend at least two hours together with our daughter. So we still have to spend _some_ time together." Near pointed to the place in the sheet under "Requirements" to show Mello that it was actually a necessity. "We also have to buy clothes to dress her. I don't know about you, but I cannot think of anything more humbling than going shopping for female baby clothing with you."

Mello almost laughed. "Uhm… right. Well this sucks." He stated simply, his frown lighter, but his tone a bit more annoyed. His legs began to get that unmistakable urge to get out of that room, and he glanced at the clock once more.

And, at that moment, the bell rang.

Mello bolted.

Near exited the room slowly, thinking about how humiliating the little excursion with Mello would be. It would really feel like they were actually married and had a child. The thought made Near shudder, and he wondered what Matt would think. He longed to see the redhead now that Near was thinking about him, but they didn't have the next class together. Near heaved an inaudible sigh and sat through his next class.

The class was about half-way through without any trouble. At first, Mello had no idea what to do with it. He originally thought that the food was supposed to go in its mouth, but that only made it cry louder, making the kids around him turn to look at him. The looks he got were sympathetic, amused, or annoyed. That's when he found the sensors; one was on his stomach, and he brought up the food to its stomach. Turns out, they were magnetic, and Mello flinched as the magnets snapped together. The baby silenced, and Mello then realized that he was being stared at; he started yelling at the class, and they turned away quickly, some talking and laughing.

This time, when the bell rang, Mello practically disappeared in a second.

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**A/N: **Woo! Hurray for April! And for Mello and Near arguing and sharing a strange conversation! I would've put the actual sign for euros in the fic, but decided that the signs would glitch the story

The next chapter is the last on of Gummy Bears, so savor it because there'll be a two week break between the end and the beginning, as I've already said.

As for the LxLight fan fiction that we're working on, it'll probably be released July 29 and yeah…

I'm feeling pretty drowsy atm, so my author's note isn't all that enthusiastic… Please review, fave, and alert


	21. Bad Cliffhanger

**A/N:** Here it is! The moment you've all been waiting for! The last chapter of Gummy Bears!

Please enjoy it, because you won't get the sequel for two weeks -evil laugh-

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Near was pleased when the bell rang, signaling that school was over. He went back to his room to work on homework. Mello would be coming soon to give him the baby for a while, and he wanted to be able to focus on his work without having the baby crying and disturbing him.

Matt pouted as he walked back to his room, hands stuffed in his pockets and his eyes narrowed in annoyance. Why did Mello have to get paired up with Near? He would've much rather have chosen to be paired with Near instead of Linda. He shuddered. Linda was a rather scary creature when you got up close and personal. Luckily, she'd agreed to take care of their baby most of the time.

"Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap!"

Matt blinked, surprised, at the sound of Mello's panicked voice. What was going on? His spirits rose a bit. Maybe he killed the baby. Maybe Mello would get expelled so he wouldn't be in the way of Near and him! A smile graced his face.

"_Near_!" The blond's voice came from Near's room.

Matt sighed. Of course that didn't happen. Mello wouldn't complain to Near about that.

"Yes, daddy?" Near asked, not bothering to look at Mello as he spoke. Yes, he had referred to Mello as 'daddy' on purpose because Near saw Mello as the father figure for their baby.

Mello sighed, pushing the baby closer to Near. There wasn't much time to play games, this could turn into a real mess if she didn't get changed soon! "You heard me, _bitch_! She's been making these weird sounds and crying and laughing and I'm the father so you have to change her diaper! Go go go go go!"

Near glared at the baby, then at Mello, though he wasn't angry, just irritated with the crying of the baby. "That's extremely prejudiced and discriminatory. Anyways, there's three minutes before it's my turn to take charge of the little… thing. The diaper is your job."

"Gah!" Mello face-palmed. "You have _got_ to be kidding me." He groaned. Mello was about to yell at Near when the baby's wailings grew louder, and his attention was averted to that matter instead.

"You owe me, bitch."

Apparently, that was Near's new nickname.

"I better bet a year's worth of Ghirardelli for this…" With that, he proceeded to rush into the bathroom.

Seconds later, Matt walked into the room. "Hey Marshmallows. Is Mello in here?"

"Hello, Puppy." Near couldn't help the little smile that appeared on his face when he saw Matt. "Yes, he's currently changing our daughter's diaper in the bathroom." Near got up from his position on the floor and walked over to the redhead. He wrapped his arms around the taller boy, though he felt a bit shy and totally awkward about it.

Matt smiled sadly as Near hugged Matt, and wrapped his own arms around Near.

"OH MY GOD!"

Matt flinched as he heard Mello's scream.

"It's- it's- _it's actually a girl_! _Holy motherfucking shit that smells like hell_!"

Matt's smile broadened, and he chuckled. "Right."

Near placed a small kiss on Matt's cheek and sighed. "If only you had been chosen as the father of my child." He shook his head slowly in displeasure, and completely ignored Mello's complaints.

Matt grinned. "Hah, I'm sure you'd like that." He joked lightly, though he didn't find the joke very funny at all. He would _much_ rather have been paired up with Near, thank you very much. "Mello doesn't sound very happy. I do hope he doesn't take it out on you." He sighed.

"Don't fret, Puppy. He's been much more willing to cooperate lately. I'm not sure of the reason., however, I'll just thank my lucky stars," Near assured Matt. Then without thinking, Near accidentally spoke his thoughts, "I missed you, Puppy." Embarrassed, Near dug his face into Matt's chest when he realized what he had said.

Matt blinked, surprised, and smiled lightly. It hurt to do it; why did everything Near say about Mello have to make him so unhappy? "I missed you too, Marshmallows," he replied quietly, running his fingers through Near's hair.

Near shuddered when Matt ran his fingers through his hair. It both startled him and felt extremely soothing. At this point, Near only wanted to kiss Matt, but he didn't because he was too shy. Instead, he snuggled further into Matt, letting the warmth of the gamer's body soothe Near into slight drowsiness.

Mello came out of the bathroom, and scowled as he saw Matt and Near. "Oh? Is there something going on _my bitch _isn't telling me about?" He asked sarcastically.

Matt released Near immediately. "W-what?" he stammered.

"Neither I nor Matt is your bitch. We already told you of our relationship, so there shouldn't be any reason to be surprised." Near glowered at Mello for ruining his and Matt's moment. Near kept his arms around his Puppy.

Mello rolled his eyes. "It was just a joke, Jesus," he sighed. "And those three minutes are up. Time for you to take care of April." He frowned.

"You got a girl then?" Matt asked quietly.

"… Yes." Came Mello's reply, followed by a light blush on the blond's cheeks.

"Fine." Near sighed. "Do you mind if I borrow Matt for the night?" Near grinned at Mello, hoping to piss him off. "I want to do things to him…" The grin widened.

Mello scowled. "Fuck no." He grit his teeth together. "Touch him and I will shove April up your ass, I swear to God."

"So you're jealous and I'm not allowed to do this?" Near kissed Matt full on the mouth, and while it felt good and he wanted to do it some more, he noisily broke the kiss with a 'mwah!' to stare at Mello. He was too focused on annoying Mello right now to consider going for a second kiss.

Mello bit his lip to try and keep himself from killing Near then and there. He didn't respond verbally to Near's actions.

"W-what's going on? You call one of us your bitch, and t-then Near kisses me?" Matt stammered, looking around confusedly as his face heated up.

Near's eyes brightened when Mello didn't respond and he lowered his hands from around Matt's back to Matt's waist. "If it doesn't bother you, I suppose I can do it some more." Near was referring to the kiss he gave Matt. He gave the redhead another noisy, but short kiss.

Mello fisted his hands, walking over to the two of them. "… Do that again. I _dare_ you." He challenged, shoving his fist in Near's face, though not making contact.

"But what if Matt _wants_ me to kiss him?" Near asked, putting on the most innocent face he could, eyes wide, mouth expressionless.

"Matt can do whatever the hell he wants," Mello snapped, "I don't give a damn about what he does. But what I _do_ care about is that you keep your hands- and your mouth- to yourself.

"M-Mello, cool it! It was a joke, that's all!" Matt protested.

"But Mello, I _love_ him. Why does it matter whether he kisses me or whether I kiss him? Either way, we're still kissing." Near kissed Matt's cheek innocently and snuggled into the redhead the way he had been doing before Mello came out of the bathroom. Only, this time, it was for protection from Matt.

Mello made a noise similar to a growl. "…Fuck off." He muttered, pushing Near further into Matt, turning around and sitting on Near's bed with a furious sigh.

"Mello, if you aren't too angry to listen to me, could you please leave my room?" Near requested, looking over at the angry blond.

Mello whipped his head around to look at Near with furious cobalt eyes. "…Fine," he muttered. "Do whatever the fuck you want, I don't care anymore." Without another word, Mello left the room, slamming the door in his wake. Mello also slammed the door to his and Matt's room much louder than necessary, his steps brisk and curse words streaming out of his mouth like a river. He glared down at the sheets of his bed for a moment before punching it as hard as he could.

"Tch!" He clenched his teeth as his hand throbbed with pain. "Damn it…"

"M-mello, wait!" Matt called out, but he got no response.

Upon hearing Matt's voice calling out to Mello, guilt trickled through Near in tiny droplets.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Matt… I realize I've done something bad. I simply wanted to make Mello angry because he hadn't been mean to me much today. It was odd, so I made him angry to try to get back to the norm…" Near gave Matt an apologetic kiss on the cheek and then released the redhead. "You can go after him if you want. I wouldn't mind." Near twirled a lock of his own hair, though he desperately wished it was a lock of Matt's hair. A guilty countenance appeared on Near's face, trying to show his sincerity.

Matt nodded, looking down. "Thanks, but… I think he needs some time to think things through on his own." Matt denied quietly, looking off to the side.

"I believe I have already said this, but I'll say it again: You're quite cute when you're confused." Near offered a small smile, and took Matt's hand into both of his, trying to make the redhead feel better than he looked and sounded.

Matt smiled shyly, taking Near's hands and gripping them tightly. "Thanks?" He replied, cocking his head to one side.

"Just like that." Near nodded at Matt's expression and smiled.

-Scene Break-

Mello sighed as he walked over to the cafeteria by himself. As of now, Near was taking care of April, so Mello didn't spare a second thought towards the robotic child. He really had other things to worry about; like the fact that his best friend was dating his arch nemesis and that Mello now had to work with said worst enemy.

Mello's frown turned into a scowl as he clenched his teeth. Lately, the mere thought of Near made Mello's blood boil with anger. Matt was starting to grow apart from Mello, and Mello had no say in what was happening. If he tried to interfere, then Matt would cut the ties quickly, and if he didn't fight it, then it would happen without any delays. For Mello, it was a lose-lose situation.

Eyes narrowed, Mello entered the cafeteria. As of now, it was time for dinner; the sky was darkening, casting a long shadow on the room. The other children were unfazed by his casual entrance, and Mello was appreciative of that little blessing. He didn't know if he'd be able to handle having some random kid adding to his already growing headache.

"Matt, I believe it's about dinner time. Shall we go?" Near asked.

Matt nodded, smiling. "Sure!" He complied easily, standing up from his previous position sitting on the bed. "Let's go, Marshmallows!"

Mello sat down, chin in hand, waiting to think of something good to get. Matt and Near were probably going to be eating together, so he assumed that he'd be eating alone. He hoped that it wouldn't become a habit, but he had a sinking feeling it would.

Near grabbed onto Matt's hand and loosely held it as he walked towards the door. He felt the need to be in physical contact with the redhead all the time now for some reason.

Matt smiled. Near's touch was rather warm. "It's okay, Marshmallows. This puppy isn't going to run away."

Near slightly shook his head.

"I know you won't run away, but I like to feel your warmth and comfort." Near gave his Puppy a shy smile.

Matt nodded. "Of course, of course," he agreed. "It's alright."

Near, April in his free hand, and the redhead walked to the cafeteria.

Near stopped in his tracks when he spotted Mello sitting alone. Hoping to repent for his bad deed of making Mello angry, Near pointed to the blond. "Do you want to go sit with him? I don't mind sitting alone…"

Surprised at the question, Matt looked at Near. "Uhm… I dunno…" He replied; he wanted to sit with Near, but Mello was also probably going to get lonely. He didn't want Mello to be alone and angry, but he didn't want Near to be by himself, either. That's when the idea hit him.

"Why can't we just sit together?"

"I suppose I don't have a problem with that…" Near said slowly after a moment of thought. Near practically hid behind Matt, though, because he didn't want Mello to be upset and make Matt feel uncomfortable to be in the middle of their bickering.

Matt grinned. "Awesome! I'll go get him." He rushed before running over to Mello.

"Hey, Mello!" he greeted once he was over to the blond, "want to sit with me and Near?"

Mello looked at him as though he was insane. "… What?" he asked, as though he hadn't heard what Matt said. The redhead rolled his eyes, sighing.

"You heard me. I'm inviting you to sit with me and Near," Matt repeated.

Mello looked at Matt for a few moments before speaking again. "Ugh, fine," he muttered, standing up. "But I swear, if Near makes one move to piss me off, I'm dragging you back over here."

Matt sighed; why couldn't they just get along? Was it really that hard?

The two made it over to the table Near had chosen.

Near couldn't help the smirk that appeared on his face when the two friends sat down. The result of sitting together like this would surely be interesting. This was like Hades and Hercules sitting down together for lunch with the intent of getting along. Matt was like Megara in the middle of it all.

"Hello Mello," Near greeted, his mouth still twisted in that smirk of his.

Mello grinned as he caught sight of Near. "Why _hello_, Near," he replied, his voice oozing with malicious sweetness. If it were an object, it would probably be a chocolate coated grenade; in Mello's mind, at least.

Matt noted the tension between the two, and decided to sit down next to Near. Who knew what would go on during this dinner?

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A/N:

I guess this isn't a very good cliff hanger, or ending, but if I ended it a little further down, I feel like you guys would throw stuff at me because, well, what happens next is long, and massive with excitement and action, and overflowing with joy and joyness…! Okay, no, I exaggerated, but I would rather feed it to you guys on one large platter.

The sequel, "So This is War," will be released Monday, August 17th. Once we start publishing So This is War, it will be updated once a week on Monday because we'll be more focused on writing our LxLight fic and will need more time to write, and yeah.

Review and fave, cuz there's no point in alerting the story XD Anyways, hope you all enjoyed it, I shall see you (well not _see_ you, but _serve_ you) in two weeks! Hasta la vista, baby!


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